Gundam SEED: Life of a Mercenary
by DragonKnightRyu
Summary: With the slightest comments, with knowledge of a strength, Kira Yamato's path will develop in a way that no one expected, watch her, as she gathers to her allies that will help her create the strongest Mercenary Guild next to Terminal, watch, the rise of Fenrir! Badass/Merc/Fem-Kira,
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: None of us own Gundam SEED. Goddamn Sunrise…

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

"_Radio"_

Prologue

_Lunar Academy, Copernicus City, Moon, Kira: Age 12_

It was a rather quiet day in Lunar Academy for one Kira Yamato as she walked through the courtyard aimlessly, her thoughts on her recently departed friend Athrun Zala who had returned to the PLANTs due to the rising tensions between ZAFT and the Earth Alliance.

Standing at a modest 4'6" with her wavy chocolate brown hair falling to her shoulders, framing her heart-shaped face with two amethyst colored eyes, which was shown reflecting deep thought and mild concern for her blue-haired friend.

"Birdy!" Chirped the green/yellow robotic bird her friend had constructed and gave to her as a parting gift, aptly named Birdy, as it circled around above her, making her giggle and smile fondly at the bird.

A commotion ahead of her called her attention back down to the ground as she spotted a somewhat large crowd of the older students gathered around a presentation of some kind shouting and cheering with 'oohs' and 'ahhs' echoing through them.

Growing curious, Kira moved in closer, using her smaller frame to slip through the crowd until she could see what was catching their attention, it was a Mobile Suit simulator with an Agent with light blue hair of Terminal watching over it, his dark green uniform with black shoulders and pants sticking out in the crowd, covering his lean frame, the crossed swords over the asterisk sticking out like a sore thumb on the sleeves for the t-shirted uniform he was wearing.

"That was a nice try!" The Agent informed the student who climbed out of the simulator, an excited smile on his face. "You should attend the classes we will be holding next year, with practice you'd easily be able to make it onto an Assault Team."

The student nodded, his eyes shining hopefully, before running over to join his friends, chatting excitedly.

"Would anyone else like to give it a try?" The Agent asked as his, bluish-green eyes scanning the crowd for eager volunteers, his eyes landing on the curious and expectant Kira. "How about you young miss," he asked, pointing directly at Kira. "Would you like to give it a try?"

"Ah, yes please," Kira said, a beaming smile on her face as she stepped forward and climbed into the cockpit, allowing the Agent to strap her into the seat, adjusting them for her smaller frame and outlined the controls for her, allowing her to test them out a but.

"What's your name young miss?" The Agent asked, a smile on his face as he prepped the simulated combat mission.

"Kira Yamato," Kira answered with a nod, making the Agent smile wider.

"Here is your Mission, Miss Yamato," he said, his voice becoming professional. "You are entering into a combat zone between two warring factions, both of whom have access to mobile weaponry that is slightly superior to your own," he said, reading off the randomly generated mission specs. "Your mission is to protect the fleeing civilians from harm, do you understand?"

"Yes," Kira said as she focused on the screens before her, outlining the generated map and troop deployments, as well as marking the non-combatants she had to protect along with the countdown timer for the evacuation. "I am ready."

"Very well then, Miss Yamato, you are clear for launch," he informed as the simulator closed and the screens flashed, showing her the view of the battlefield.

Outside of the simulator the Agent watched as Kira moved her unit around, getting a feel for the environment as she positioned herself between the civilians and the growing battle.

There was a few tense seconds of silence as the battle raged between the two sides, before finally, she struck, moving her unit, based off of the basic Patriot outfit, and intercepting a pair of battling mobile suits, drawing her heat saber she quickly bisected them before they could endanger the non-combatants, turning quickly she raised up her rifle and fired upon another unit that attempted to take her from behind.

Jaws dropped as the students watched a twelve year old _tear _through numerous units, never straying far from the non-combatants and always prioritizing their protection, even sacrificing an arm of her unit for them until the timer hit zero and she successfully disengaged from battle. retreating to the identified waypoint.

As the cockpit opened up the Agent was looking down at Kira with a quizzical expression on his face. "Miss Yamato, I have _never _seen a greenhorn successfully complete a simulated mission on their first try," he informed, looking back to the score that his screen displayed, showing extremely high marks across the board. "Hell, there wasn't even a single non-combatant death." He looked back at her. "If you ever want to join Terminal kid, hell, even going as a solo Merc, you'd make a killing..." he shook his head with a ruthful chuckle. "My name is Samuel Johansson, should you ever want to join Terminal, look me up. Hell, even if you want to become a solo pilot, come see me. I'll get you set up!"

Kira gave him a wondering look. "Why?" she asked, curious. "Why would you help me like that?"

Samuel gave her a long look, his expression serious. "Talent like yours cannot be ignored," he informed. "It is best that you come into it on your own terms, rather than someone else's, and even if you chose not to join Terminal, I can tell, I would not regret aiding you realize your potential, should you wish it, come see me in a few years, I think you should finish schooling here first, before you choose to become a Merc. Better to broaden your horizons."

Kira nodded as she climbed out of the simulator and walked away, throwing a look over her shoulder, the curiosity within her burning brightly as she remembered how _natural _it felt to be in the cockpit. '_A Mercenary… huh?_' she thought to herself as Birdy landed on her shoulder. '_That just may be an interesting line of work..._'

_Later that day_

_Terminal Base near Copernicus_

A young man at the age of eighteen sat in the lounge of the local Terminal Base, resting after a day of training. He had dark brown hair done in a buzzcut, a developing moustache the same color as his hair, amethyst eyes, asian skin, and an athletic build.

He'd been talked into joining Terminal by a friend of his, but he had to say that he was not regretting his choice, especially with the Mobile Suits they had. ZAFT had MS, too, but Terminal's just seemed to be so much better… and with the increasing tensions between Earth and the PLANTs, he honestly believed that Terminal were the only ones who had the right frame of mind.

He looked up as the door opened, and a familiar face walked in. "Hey there, Johansson!" he called out. "How did your day go?"

"Ah, Takeshi," Samuel said, a small grin spreading on his face. "Just the recruit I was looking for, tell me, are you related by any chance to a student of Lunar Academy by the name of Kira Yamato?"

"Kira?" Takeshi Yamato asked, confusion showing on his face. "Yeah, she's my Imouto. Why?"

"Ah, it seems to run in the family then, the talent of a pilot," Samuel said, his grin sharpening. "She ran through the simulator, your Imouto, and got a damned near perfect score, too, on her first try."

Takeshi blinked. His twelve year old little sister nearly aced a simulator run on her first try? "You have got to be kidding me," he said. "She's only twelve! How the heck could she ace it on her first try?"

Samuel shrugged. "Not a clue, but..." he admitted before trailing off, his grin becoming almost predatorial. "I think I will be getting a visit from her in a couple years, a new legend will be born soon after."

Takeshi sighed. "I hope you're wrong about that," he said. "Part of why I signed up was to protect her if war broke out - not have her doing the protecting."

Samuel shook his head. "No, she won't need a protector, that one," he informed seriously. "No, she will be the one who will be a protector, I could feel it in my very bones when I looked at her, mark my words, before she turns sixteen, that Imouto of yours, every soldier will know her name."

"Well, I'll take your word for it," Takeshi remarked with another sigh. He wondered just what was in store for the world, and what role he and his sister would play...

_Two Years Later, Copernicus City Market District, Cafe Luna_

Kira sighed as she waited at a rather popular cafe in the market district of Copernicus, waiting for the person she was meeting to show up. She had grown in the last two years, shooting up to a 5'3" with a good bit of muscle put on as well as some more… womanly development, a noticeable swell that her black tank-top did little to hide, her woodland camo capris pants doing little to hide the curve of her hips and were tucked into a pair of military looking combat boots. On her waist was a basic Beretta M9 pistol in its holster along with a decently sized trench knife, her hair now falling to her mid back in a simple ponytail.

"I hope you weren't waiting too long, little miss," announced a familiar voice, her eyes flicked over to Samuel as he approached her table and sat down, his eyes taking her in. "Although, little may not be too accurate anymore, Takeshi was right, you definitely look like a professional now, a far cry from two years ago."

Kira smirked in response, her body at ease. "Of course, I am not making this decision on a whim and doing it half-assedly," she informed. "How is Take-nii doing anyways, haven't seen him for a while now."

"He's doing well," Samuel replied. "He looks to be becoming one of Terminal's best Combat Agents, and the higher-ups are thinking of ordering a custom Mobile Suit for him, because it seems that even a customized Mass-Production Unit just can't keep up with his reaction times."

Kira smirked at his statement. "Take-nii has always been pushing his limits like that," she informed, a fond smile on her face, before giggling. "Especially once he found out the career I wanted to follow."

Samuel chuckled. "He told me part of the reason he joined up was to protect you should war break out," he said. "But when I first saw you go through that sim, I knew you were going to be the one doing the protecting, as opposed to being the protected. So, are you wanting to join Terminal like he did, or go solo?"

"I'll be going solo," she informed seriously. "No offense, but I don't want to make my career in my brother's shadow, you said you would help get me started?"

Samuel nodded. "That I did," he informed as he pushed a file over to her. "Purchased a decent sized ship for you, and got you a basic Patriot to get you started, even put in a couple of contact names and info to give you a little boost to your connections."

Kira accepted the document and looked it over quickly, deeds to a Vessel, a decommissioned Terminal _Valiant_-class ship, that Samuel had recommissioned for her use.

"A bit large for one person," she said with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe, but you never know what the future may bring," Samuel said. "Plus, any cargo ships that would be smaller wouldn't have a Mobile Suit Catapult."

Kira nodded her understanding as she looked at Samuel. "Thank you for your help," she said gratefully. "I hope I can repay this sometime."

Samuel shrugged. "I may end up enlisting you for one of my missions with Terminal," he informed blunty. "But… we will see."

Kira nodded as she picked up the file and stood. "Well, I'd best get everything ready," she informed. "How soon will the ship arrive?"

"In a couple of days," Samuel replied. "I wish you the best of luck… then again, part of me doesn't think you'll need it."

Kira smirked as she turned. "I didn't spend the last two years fantasizing," she informed. "I spent them training."

"Gotcha," Samuel said with a nod. "I look forward to hearing stories about you and your exploits."

Kira nodded before walking away, her mind already whirling with plans and ideas.

_Earth, London, Ontario Canada_

A young man with shortly cut brown hair, lying in a bed sighed in a depressed manner as his deep green eyes opened, rolling over on his bed he looked at the clock that flashed the time of 0600 at him, making him sigh again before he sat up, pushing his covers back, revealing his toned body that looked much like a soldier's, although the scruff that occupied his chin spoke otherwise.

Climbing out of bed he made his way over to his dresser and changed into a pair of blue jeans, a white undershirt and a dark blue button up t-shirt that he left unbuttoned before leaving his room. passing a room he paused and opened the door slightly, spotting a young girl, fast asleep under her covers, her red hair peeking out. Smiling softly he quietly closed the door before resuming his trek and headed down the stairs and into a kitchen where a middle aged, red haired woman busied herself with pot of coffee.

"Morning, Mom," the man greeted softly a slight Irish accent in his voice, catching the woman's attention, she turned, her green eyes sparkling as she smiled at her son.

"Up early again, Ryu?" Gail Hisanaga, a woman of Irish descent, asked, her accent, unlike her son's, was thick. "Here, a fresh cuppa coffee."

Ryu smiled slightly as he accepted the cup of coffee his mother poured for him. "Thanks, mom," he said as he took a seat, his mother taking one across from him with her own cup. "And... sorry for not really doing anything this last week."

"I understand, Ryu," she informed, placing a comforting hand over his. "A hard thin' it is, to be booted from the Military because of how ye were born."

Ryu nodded, a depressed sigh escaping his lips. "Very hard," he agreed softly. "I just hope Mu won't be getting anymore flak for supporting me."

Gail gave her son an understanding and proud smile as she patted his hand before pulling it away. "Ye father may not have had enough clout from stoppin' those Blue Cosmos bastard from givin' ye the boot," she informed. "But he does have enough pull from stopping a good soldier from gettin' it because of a friendship."

Ryu nodded, a wry smile on his face. "Me getting the boot has done more for me and dad's relationship than seventeen years of life ever did."

Gail let out a soft sigh, a smile on her face. "A proud man, ye father is," she informed. "Yes, he had ye born as a Coordinator to continue his family legacy, but... ye still are his son, and you gave it ye best, he could not have asked for more from ye, I think... he just didn't understand ye's ideology."

Ryu grew despondent as he sagged in his seat. "Hell of a way to have been proven wrong, huh?" he asked bitterly. "I guess no one really does want peace between Coordinators and Naturals."

"Now that ain't true and ye know it," Gail informed, her voice hard. "Don't ye go trampling over ye's beliefs, I did not raise a coward for a son, ye understand?"

Ryu chuckled, a bit more light hearted than earlier. "Yeah, I understand, mom," he informed, shaking his head with a grin. "Do you have any fixing that needs to be done? I'm getting a bit restless from being cooped up in my room all day for the last week."

Gail smiled and nodded, happy to see her son recover a bit. "Of course," she informed. "This old house always needs work done."

Ryu grinned and stood, ready to get to work.

_Later that day_

"I'm home," Announced one Ryuzaki Hisanaga as he walked into his home, his uniform slightly ruffled, bags under his dark brown eyes, the only thing keeping his brown hair orderly was the fact that it was cut short.

"Welcome home dear," Gail said as she walked into the entryway. "Why don't you go into the living room and have a seat, dinner will ready soon."

Ryuzaki gave his wife of 25 years a tired, but happy smile and nodded before setting his things away and handing up his uniform coat and headed into the living room where his eldest son Ryu was playing a racing video game with his fifteen year old son, Jinn, who seemed to take more his after father with brown hair and eyes and more asian features than his brother. Nearby his 13 year old daughter, and the youngest sibling, Jade, who took after her mother with red hair, green eyes and european features cheered her eldest brother on.

"Hey Ryu-nii! Stop cheating!" Jinn shouted to his brother as Ryu used his car to run his brother off the track, making the elder son laugh merrily, a look of content on his face that the father had not seen in a long while.

'_Not since before I forced him into the Academy..._' he realized, a pang of regret filling him.

Taking a seat, he let out a soft sigh of contentment as he eased himself into the comfortable chair, making Ryu smirk over at him. "Bones protesting too much, old man?" he asked teasingly.

"Not enough to keep me from teaching you a lesson, Ryu," Ryuzaki countered, even as he settled deeper into the chair. "I'm beginning to think I shouldn't have held you back during the court martial farce Blue Cosmos put you through, Azrael is really starting to annoy me."

Ryu let out a small chuckle as the game finished, before passing the controller to Jade, who eagerly took it. "I take it he's making another push towards nukes?" he asked softly once he took a seat next to his father, who nodded.

"Me and Halberton were able to head it off, but..." Ryuzaki whispered softly. "I'm going to be keeping a close eye on Blue Cosmos."

Ryu nodded slowly. "I'm going to be leaving soon," he informed his father. "A friend of mine in the Junk Guild got me a good deal on a salvaged GiNN and agreed on helping me fix it up and arming it."

"What will you be doing? Joining them? Or Terminal?" Ryuzaki asked. "The Agent who visited you the other day seemed to think highly of your skills."

"I'll be working as a Solo Merc," Ryu answered, his eyes growing distant. "For a while at least, I think I just need to figure out a few things before I dedicate myself to something, and... I also want to help protect the small villages that armies tend to forget."

Ryuzaki nodded slowly. "I understand," he said softly. "After dinner let's go out for a bit, talk in private."

Ryu nodded his agreement, his gaze returning back to the TV where Jade finished the race scant seconds before Jinn. "Sure."

_After Dinner, McFlaggens Pub_

Ryu stared at his father with an incredulous look as they walked into a bar before letting out a ruthful chuckle and joined his father at one of the patio stools. "Wonder what mom would say if she found out about you taking me out for drinks?" he asked musingly as his father put in an order for two of the local beer.

"Oh, about the same thing if she found out about you smoking," he informed, looking pointedly at the pack that Ryu pulled out, making the younger-than-he-looked teen chuckle as he lit a cigarette. "So… you really are planning on becoming a merc, huh? Though why not Terminal, they do the same thing you are planning, and you would have more resources at hand."

Ryu nodded. "I know, but… something about it, I can't bring myself to completely trust them," he informed. "I can't explain why, but… I just can't."

Ryuzaki nodded as the beers were set before them, he took a sip of his as he considered his words. "I may be able to slip you some resources and information here and there," he informed quietly. "Just… stay safe, won't you, Son?"

Ryu let a small smile cross his face as he took a long pull from his beer. "Of course, Dad," he agreed, nodding. "I will."

And so, the night passed as father and son shared a drink.

_Debris Belt, Terminal Base _New Platea

Takeshi walked into the hangar of _New Platea_, wearing a dark-blue version of the Terminal Uniform, and watched as the techs swarmed over his custom Patriot.

It looked pretty much the same as a regular Patriot, only it had been painted dark blue, with a black torso and trim, and it had a thruster pack on the back, along with a shortsword and longsword set on its hips.

Takeshi had used this particular Patriot for the past two years, ever since he signed up with Terminal. But now, it looked like he was going to need a custom machine. He'd been pushing himself to the limits ever since he learned of Kira's talent, part of him not wanting his little sister to show him up, and he'd pushed himself far enough that he was outstripping the reaction times of even his custom Patriot, to say nothing of the standard Patriots. If they didn't make him a new machine soon, the strain he'd continue to put on his Patriot might cause it to come apart.

"Combat Trainee Yamato," a powerful voice called out through the hanger, coming from a powerfully built red-headed man with dark brown eyes wearing the Terminal Uniform with the insignia for captain on his shoulders. "Are you here?"

"Here, sir!" Takeshi replied, turning to face the man and saluting.

The man looked him over before nodding. "I am Captain Haverstead," he informed. "By the order of our benefactors, after a careful review of your performance testing and mission review, you have been cleared for a custom-built mobile suit, you are to report to Aeolia Schenberg in the R&D Base _Discovery _within one week, is that clear?"

"Understood, Captain!" Takeshi replied. "I'll head out immediately. Is there a shuttle available I can use?"

Haverstead nodded in confirmation. "Yes, and there is one more matter," he informed as he held out a small case, like one would use to hold a necklace. "The Benefactors have also approved your promotion to Agent, congratulations, Agent Yamato."

Takeshi smiled as he took the case, opening it to reveal the insignia of a Combat Agent. "Thank you, sir!" Takeshi replied with another salute.

Haverstead returned the salute. "Carry on, Agent," he ordered before moving off to continue his duties.

Takeshi stood there for a couple of moments, gazing at the insignia within the case, before removing the insignia from the case and pinning it to his uniform. He then headed to the Shuttle Hangar.

He had a meeting to get to.

_Earth, Washington, D.C, Allster Manor_

"I cannot believe this!" A man roared inside of his office, his dark eyes glaring at the person before him. "How could you disgrace me like that by supporting that… _monster _that the fool Ryuzaki created in front of our guests like that!"

"Coordinators are not Monsters, Father!" screamed back a 17-year-old woman with dark red hair that cascaded down past her shoulders, amethyst eyes, and a slender build. "And Ryu Hisanaga has had a hard enough time thanks to the bigotry shown him by you and so many other officials in the government, not to mention the military!"

"He is an abomination that should have been executed, I cannot believe that my own daughter would be this… _polluted,_" her father sneered. "Did I not raise you properly!"

"I refuse to believe that _**anyone**_ is an abomination simply because of how they're born!" she shouted. "If there are Monsters in this world, it's people like you and your friend Azrael! Don't think I haven't overheard your conversations with him! I refuse to just sit here and be a 'good girl' while you scheme to commit Genocide!"

Her father growled angrily. "OUT!" he roared. "Out of this house, and out of this family! You are disowned!"

"Gladly," she snapped. "You are no longer my Father, _George Allster_." She stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind her.

"S… sister?" A voice asked fearfully, turning the teen spotted her younger sister, one Flay Allster hiding partially behind a corner in the hallway. "Are… are you really leaving?"

Linda, formerly an Allster, but deciding no longer to answer to that last name, smiled sorrowfully. "Yeah..." she said. "Sorry, kiddo, but I can't put up with _**his**_ philosophies any more." Walking over to Flay, she ruffled her hair. "Just don't let his dogma corrupt you, all right, Flay? You won't have me to protect you from it anymore. Just remember, a person is still a person, regardless of how they're born."

Flay nodded her agreement. "W… will I see you again?" she asked hesitantly.

"I certainly hope so, but nothing is ever certain," Linda remarked. "I'll do my best to stay alive, and hopefully we'll meet again."

Flay nodded and watched her sister leave the house with only a duffle bag of clothing, worry for her elder sister building up within her as she committed her words to heart.

Once she was away from the house, Linda sighed. "Well, it's good that I'm out from under _**his**_ thumb, but where do I go from here? No way I'm joining the Atlantic Federation after this, and I doubt Eurasia, the Republic of East Asia, or the PLANTs would take me in. Orb's an option, but I doubt I could afford a standard ferry..."

"In need of work, Miss Linda Allster?" A voice asked from behind her.

She spun around, but she didn't quite recognize the figure, looking average across the board with brown hair and eyes, being unable to tell what nationality he was neither from his accent nor his skin tone and he was wearing ordinary clothes. "It's just Linda - I refuse to identify myself with _**his**_ name any longer. And who are you, and how do you know who I am?"

"The organization I work for has taken a great interest in you, Miss Linda," the man informed, a calm, almost serene smile on his face. "You scored quite highly on you aptitude tests that your former father had you take, we were hoping to recruit you."

"Who is it you work for?" Linda asked, part of her extremely cautious in case this was a trap from Blue Cosmos - she wouldn't put it past them - while another part was rather curious.

The man's smile turned into a smirk. "Tell me, you have heard of us, haven't you?" he asked, getting a confused look from her. "Terminal, that is."

Her eyes widened as realization set in. "The mercenary organization Terminal?" she asked.

"Yes, Miss Linda," he informed, his smirk still in place. "How about it? Would you like to join us? To join Terminal, and show your former father, that peace between Naturals and Coordinators is indeed more than a pipe dream?"

Linda thought about it for a few moments, before smiling. "I would," she said. "I'd definitely like a chance to stick it to _**him**_, and I think Terminal might be my best bet." She then gained a curious expression. "Out of curiosity, what job were you offering? You said something about the aptitude tests _**he**_ gave me?"

"You have great potential as an operator on a mobile suit carrier ship," he informed. "Your aptitude test showed high degrees of awareness and your assessment ability is quite potent as well."

Linda nodded. "Sounds like a job I'd like," she said. "Where do I sign up?"

The Agent smirked as he gestured with his hand. "Just follow me," he informed. "I will escort you to a shuttle that is being prepped as we speak for a trip to our homebase _New Platea._"

"All right," Linda said, still rather cautious but very hopeful at the same time. "Lead the way."

The agent bowed his head in agreement. "Forgive my manners, but I am Operative Jace Macintosh," he informed, introducing himself. "Please, I have a vehicle waiting for us."

"All right," Linda said, following Macintosh to his vehicle.

It looked like things were definitely looking up for her, now that she was out from under _**his**_ thumb. She turned to look at the house one last time, thinking of her sister. '_Be safe, Flay,_' she thought. '_Don't let his anti-Coordinator dogma affect you. We'll meet again someday… I promise._'

_Terminal R&D Base, _Discovery

A single balding man whose greying dark brown hair was receding leaving the top of his head bald. His brown eyes stared at the blueprints for the framework of a Mobile suit, a monocle over his right eye, he was wearing a rather basic dark grey suit under a white lab coat. His hands moved rapidly, holding a ruler and a pencil as he added to the blueprint.

A beep from his console caught his attention. "Aeolia here," he said as he pressed the intercom button. "What is it?"

"_Director Schenberg?_" came back the voice of his receptionist/assistant. "_Agent Yamato is here for his meeting with you._"

"Thank you, send him in please, Sasha," he said curtly as he released the button and cleared his desk a little.

The door opened soon afterwards as Takeshi strode in. "A pleasure to meet you, Director Schenberg," he said.

"Agent Yamato," Aeolia returned with a nod of his head. "I have looked over your performance reviews that the benefactors have sent me and I must say I am impressed, now, we were planning on constructing a custom built Patriot for you, but after taking a closer look over your performance reviews over the years, I have noticed a steady increase in your skills and abilities, as such, I believe that they will continue to do so, resulting in your situation now, as such, I believe that you need something more than a custom built Patriot, how would you like to be the pilot for a prototype that we are planning to construct?"

"A prototype?" Takeshi asked, before he smiled. "As long as it can keep up with me and is designed for High-Speed, Close-Range Combat, I'll be good."

Aeolia nodded as he turned to the blueprints. "We are still in its planning phase, so for the time being as it is constructed we have a Custom Built Patriot prepared for you," he informed. "Now… is there any other specifications you are looking for in your mobile suit?"

"Well, like I said, my preference is for close-ranged combat," Takeshi informed, "so it should have a variety of melee weapons. Ranged weapons… well, the Head Vulcans are kind of a given… Perhaps some throwing knives, or maybe boomerangs? And perhaps make a sword that can also function as a Gun..."

Aeolia nodded as he made some notes. "We could manage that," he informed. "Also, for the time being you are being assigned as a part of _Discovery's _guard force, so that you are on hand for the testing phase."

Takeshi nodded. "That makes sense," he remarked. "Well, I look forward to working with you, Director Schenberg."

"Same here, Agent," Aeolia replied. "Report to Agent Captain Aslin, he will have your orders."

"You've got it, Director," Takeshi replied before walking out of the office.

Aeolia's gaze lingered only for a second before returning back to the blueprints. "Now then, a high-speed close-quarters type..."

_With Kira, In synchronous orbit above Copernicus City_

Kira sighed contently as she plopped down in the helm of her new ship, linking her hands behind her head as she grinned. "Well, this is certainly a good ship..." she said to herself. "Good lockdown measures for when I'm away decent armaments for defense, I guess all it needs now is a name… hmm..."

She crossed her arms across her chest as she considered it. "Hmm, I think… the _Mugen Kano, _Infinite Possibilities," she declared to herself with a nod. "Yeah, that's perfect."

A beep from the console before her caught her attention. "Huh? What's this?" she whispered as she hit a few keys, bringing up a message, a grin spreading across her face as she read it. "And my first mission to boot, alright then."

She keyed the comms to the Control in Copernicus City. "Control, this is the _Valiant_-Class _Mugen Kano, _we are departing," she informed the control officer.

"Valiant-_class _Mugen Kano, _this is control,_" came the response. "_You are cleared for departure._"

"Thanks, Control," Kira replied before closing the link. "Well, time for my first mission! Heading out!"

**END PROLOGUE**


	2. Chapter 1: Rise of Fenrir

Disclaimer: None of us own Gundam SEED. Goddamn Sunrise… Furthermore, any franchises that make cameos here belong to their respective owners.

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

"_Radio"_

Chapter One: Rise of Fenrir

_Earth, Middle Eastern Village, Near the Battlefront, ZAFT Base of Operations, One Year after Kira becomes a Mercenary_

Kira sighed as she walked through the ZAFT's operational base to the command building where the commanding officer was waiting for her to assign her her mission, throughout the last year her growth spurt had been obviously continuing having shot up to 5'7" with her breasts growing from their modest B-cup to the large side of a C-cup. "Man, it is hot out here," she groaned as she fanned herself, looking around as the soldiers ran about in preparations for a raid on the EA Base. "Man, the EA must really be dug in if they're having such trouble breaking through."

Walking up to the command building she showed her ID to the guard who waved her through, looking slightly surprised by her age. Walking through the hallways she entered the map room where the CO stood with his XO, the both of them standing behind a table that had a map laid out on it, before them stood a large group of Mercenaries.

"Solo Mercenary, Kira Yamato, reporting," she informed as she took a seat.

The commander's eyes widened slightly upon seeing her. "So you're the famous Kira Yamato..." he remarked. "I have to say, I wasn't expecting you to be so… young."

Kira shrugged disinterestedly. "And your point is?" she asked with a blank voice and a raised eyebrow. "I've made no effort to hide my age."

"I guess not, but I guess the stories people have told just don't mention your age," the commander replied. "Regardless, I am glad you're here - we could use your talents."

Kira nodded, her expression blank as the XO stepped forward. "Now that you are all here, I will explain the situation," he informed. "We are currently deadlocked with the EA forces stationed here, they currently have the superior ground with the terrain working to their advantage."

He circled out an area on the map. "This is the easiest route to access the base, however, they managed to place a Hyper Beam Cannon emplacement at a strategic emplacement, making a frontal assault suicide," he explained, before circling another area. "Our aerial surveillance has spotted a possible avenue of approach, a weak point in the EA defensive lines, we have sent a squad to scout it out, however… I think it's best to show you the recording."

He gestured to the screen behind him that started playing a recording from one of the GiNNs leading a mobile squad. "_Command, this is Red-Leader, we are mobile, on approach to the village,_" the recorded leader reported. "_So far no sign of EA forces, although, the villagers are taking cover._"

"_1500 meters out from the Vil-_" the voice was cut off as the cockpit of one of the GiNNs in front of the leader exploded out of the back of the unit, no doubt killing the pilot.

"_Red-Four!_" the leader shouted. "_Where did the shot come from?_"

Kira watched raptly as the squad was systematically destroyed by the unseen enemy, when the video ended silence reigned in the room.

"Two other Recon squads have met the same fate, all unable to identify the attacker," the CO informed seriously. "We have also been unable to catch an image of the attacker with neither Satellites, nor Aerial Surveillance."

"High-powered 75mm Anti-Suit Rifle," Kira said, her eyes narrowing. "It has a maximum range of 1,000 meters in atmosphere, I'm guessing that every squad that was sent was attacked at 1,500 meters?"

"Y… yes…" the CO replied. "They were… which likely means they have a Mobile Suit on sniping duty about 1,000 meters away from that village, given what you have just mentioned."

"We have also sent in plain clothes men," the XO informed, with a grim look. "They were found by the regular patrols, dead, killed by knife with a printed letter stating to stop sending soldiers."

"This will be our final attempt," the CO informed. "It is your responsibility to secure this point, and defeat the enemy."

The Mercenaries all nodded, determined to carry out the mission.

Kira stepped out of the command center and headed to her army surplus jeep that she had used to travel from her landed ship to the base. '_They thought the unit was about 1,000 meters _outside _of the village,_' she thought as she drove, using one hand to steer as she used her other to manipulate a tablet, bringing up a map of the area. '_But… there is no cover outside of the village within that area, within the village, however,_' she zoomed in on the cliffside the village was based beside. '_But… the cliffs beside the village._'

Her eyes sharpened as she left the base perimeter. '_But… to hit a target 1,500 meters away, with a rifle that has a limit of 1,000 meters,_' she mused. '_So… it can't be anyone in the EA military… so, that leaves a Mercenary, one that we have no data on…_'

She pulled up alongside the _Mugen Kano _and typed in a password attached to her jeep console, causing the hangar doors to open, allowing her entrance.

Once she had the jeep parked and strapped in she moved to the only mobile suit in the hangar, a Custom Patriot that Samuel had given her, colored dark blue with white highlights and on its left shoulder was a pair of white wings flanking a black sword. "Right then, time to get to work." she stated, climbing into the unit. "Probably best to bring the sniper with a shotgun and a blade for this one, cover my bases just in case the sniper is just the first line…" she said to herself as she powered the unit up. "Although… this unit is reacting slower now… I may need to upgrade soon…"

_Village, Cliffside Cave_

Ryu sighed as he blew out a cloud of cigarette smoke from his mouth, he had grown a bit over the last year, and gained a couple of scars as well, but, he wasn't thinking on those as he sat beside his custom CGUE that he had acquired from the Junk Guild at the start of his Mercenary Career, it was currently in a kneeling position as Ryu waited for the next attack to come from ZAFT, it was painted black with crimson red slash marks all over it and had a high powered sniper cannon resting on it. '_They'll probably follow the same pattern as the EA, one unit to secure the area, two recons, a group of plainclothes, then Mercs,_' he mused to himself. '_Let's hope they didn't hire Serpent's Tail or anyone of that calibre._'

"Mr. Hisanaga," a middle eastern man said as he entered the cave, causing Ryu to look up at the entrance. "The villagers have reported approaching mobile suits, it's just as you predicted, Mercenaries."

Ryu nodded. "Thank you Abdul," he said as he moved over to the CGUE, beside which rest a 75mm rifle. "Tell the village to get into the shelter, I don't know if I would be able to stop them before they enter the village limits."

Abdul nodded and ran out of the cave to warn the villagers as Ryu climbed in and powered up his unit. "Now, let's see how many we are dealing with…" he mused as he activated the camera. "Hmm, about 14 units… various types, no uniformed colors, Mercenaries alright, mostly solo ones by the look of it."

The Mercenaries were also maintaining a rather loose formation, keeping enough distance so that if he shot at one he wouldn't take out the rest. What caught his attention was a dark blue Patriot with white trim, which was outfitted with a Sniper Rifle of its own, along with a shotgun and a sword. It also seemed to be looking right at him - or at least keeping its attention on the cliff face his cave was in.

"Oh, we got a smart one there, hmm, standard anti-suit 60mm rifle, range, 750 meters, right then," he murmured to himself as he laid his unit down on its 'stomach' and brought the sniper rifle to bear. "Range out: 1,600 meters…"

_With Kira_

Kira had a bit of an uneasy feeling as she and her fellow Mercenaries headed towards the village. She'd had this feeling before, usually on jobs just before the situation went to hell in a handbasket, so she was keeping her guard up.

As soon as the first unit crossed the 1,500 meter mark, the cockpit exploded. "_Enemy fire!_" One of the mercs shouted out. "_Where did the shot come from?_"

"_Unknown!_" Another merc reported. "_I saw no muzzle flash!_"

Kira, on the other hand… "Cliffs beside the village, it was brief, but there was a muzzle flash!" she reported.

"_What?_" A merc asked in shock. "_That's too far out of range of a 75mm!_"

"I don't think we're dealing with standard EA Forces, here," Kira informed, voicing her gut instincts from earlier. "I think we're dealing with another Merc! Assume a customized 75mm, same power as the regular one but much greater range!"

Another merc's cockpit exploded as the group charged. "_This is nuts… who in the hell would have skills like that?_" A merc shouted out. "_I've never heard of such a crazy customization, such a thing couldn't be possible._"

"_You're wrong!_" another merc shouted, this one was older than the rest of the mercs by a good margin. "_There is one who could do it, the Black Dragon!_"

"_What do we do, we're sitting ducks out here!_" a younger merc asked as his neighbour was shot down. "_Not a whole lotta cover here!_"

"Stay mobile, and don't move in straight lines!" Kira ordered. "Keep moving forward, but make yourselves as hard to hit as possible! And see if you can find me some cover a bit closer - there's a reason I brought a Sniper Rifle, but it's only got a range of 750 meters!"

"_Right! Let's get her in range people!_" the elder merc ordered as he stepped in front of Kira's unit, his custom GiNN carrying a massive shield that he held in front of him. "_You'll probably have only one shot at this, kid, make it count._"

"I will, and thank you," Kira replied, as she started moving, making sure to keep the GiNN and its shield in front of her, even as she started getting the Sniper Rifle ready.

_With Ryu_

Ryu's eyes narrowed as he watched their formation shift, encircling the blue unit with the rifle. "Hn, I see… so they figured out my location," he said to himself as he watched, a smirk growing on his features. "Well, good thing I have those traps prepared," he announced, pressing a button on his console sending a signal out to the buried explosives. "Let's see how you deal with this…"

_With the Mercenary Group_

Kira's uneasy feeling was getting worse. "Stay sharp," she informed. "Something's telling me a Sniper Rifle isn't all this guy has in store for us."

"_You'd be right about that lass,_" the elder merc informed. "_The Black Dragon is considered to be an Anti-Army Specialist._"

"_So, what?_" one of the other Mercs asked. "_Is he gonna have some sort of minefield laid out or someth-_" the Merc was cut off as explosions started going off around them.

"_Anyone else want to give him any ideas?_" The elder merc barked angrily as he continued to charge forward. "_Keep moving, right now, the stupid thing would be to stop following behind me!_"

_With Ryu_

"Hoh… handled that one well," he mused as he triggered the next set of explosives. "They're getting to close to the village, looks like I'll have to get personal for this one."

He stood the unit up and dropped the rifle before picking up the CGUE's Vulcan shield, a ramming shield, and a mobile suit sized katana. "Right then, let's see how you boys like getting up close and personal with a dragon?"

_With the mercs_

They'd gone through another couple of explosive traps, but hadn't had any more casualties that were caused by Sniper Fire. "_Was that all he had?_" one of the Mercs asked.

"I doubt it," Kira remarked, holstering her Sniper Rifle and drawing her blade. "We're getting close to the village… I think he's switching out ranged combat for close quarters."

"_You'd be right, lass,_" the elder merc said as he continued forward. "_Stay on your guard!_"

"_Look, ahead! On the cliffs!_" A merc shouted out, drawing their attention to where a mobile suit armed with two shields and a sword stepped out of one of the many caves littering the cliffside, it was definitely a CGUE, but heavily customized with parts of a GiNN High Mobility Type with a sniper camera attached to the right shoulder. "_Jeezus, I don't think that unit even classifies as a CGUE anymore!_"

"He doesn't have the rifle with him..." Kira remarked. "Two Shields, one of them a standard CGUE Vulcan Shield, but the other looks like it's designed for impacts… and a sword as well… definitely going close quarters."

"_Here he comes!_" the elder merc shouted. "_Shoot him out of the sky!_"

The CGUE leapt into the air, the powerful thrusters attached keeping it aloft as it towards the mobile suits who opened fire, with reflexes that should not have been possible the CGUE wove between the shots, any shots it couldn't dodge were taken by the ramming shield. His first victim was the unit in front of the Elder Merc, the suit crumpling as the ramming shield collided with the cockpit, no doubt killing the pilot.

The CGUE didn't stop there, however, as the thrusters kept going, propelling him to his next target, the elder merc who braced his unit behind his own massive shield. The pair collided with a thunderous boom that echoed off of the cliffs surrounding them. "_Goddammit, how powerful are those thrusters!?_" the merc asked as he was pushed back.

Kira dashed around behind the CGUE, using her own thrusters to close quickly as she slashed with her blade, aiming to remove the arm with the ramming shield.

She gasped in shock as the CGUE suddenly leapt back, detaching the shield as he did so, drawing out his katana sword with his now free hand before opening fire with the Vulcan shield.

She jumped backwards, dodging the fire, before opening up with the Patriot's Head Vulcans, aiming for the CGUE's Head Camera as she drew the shotgun, her machine holding it and the blade in one hand each.

Moving with pernatural reflexes the pilot of CGUE used it's shield to defend the main camera, even as it circled her. Seeing a chance, one of the Mercs leapt forward, swinging his GiNN Heavy Sword at the CGUE, only to find the katana blade embedded in his cockpit, the CGUE moving at an unnatural angle as it countered.

Kira fired a burst from her Head Vulcans and a shot from her shotgun at the same time, forcing the CGUE to choose between defending his cockpit or his Head Camera, before dashing forward once again, continuing to fire the Head Vulcans as she closed in for another slash with her blade.

The pilot moved again, throwing the impaled GiNN between them, even as she pulled the trigger, allowing it to absorb the damage. As Kira closed, the GiNN dropped, only to find the CGUE was no longer behind it.

'_This guy's good,_' Kira thought just before her instincts screamed at her, causing her to instinctively swirl around and slash with her blade.

Her blade met the CGUE's as it struck out at her, preventing the blade from piercing her cockpit. They deadlocked for a couple of seconds before the thumping noise of the elder merc's charge met their ears. The CGUE leapt away just in time to avoid getting rammed by the GiNN's massive shield. "_Surviving Units, circle around him, surround him on all sides,_" the merc ordered to the others. "_Don't give him a chance to attack, lass, be ready to finish him off._"

Kira nodded, storing her blade and opening up with the shotgun, even as she started getting into the circling formation that the group was forming. Her gaze temporarily landed on the status readout for her Sniper Rifle, as an idea came to her...

The CGUE moved with its pernatural ease, seemingly anticipating the shots before they were even fired as he closed in on the mercenaries, his blade and vulcan tearing through their armor as he fought through them. "_This guy… what kind of monster is he!?_" one of the mercs shouted fearfully. "_How can he tell where we're going to shoot?_"

"I have an idea - cover me!" Kira called out before charging forward again, tossing her shotgun aside as she drew her blade once more, opening up with the Head Vulcans to try and keep him off balance. She leapt in, blade coming in on an overhead strike that the CGUE was forced to block due to avoiding the fire from the other machines. As they deadlocked, she freed one hand from her blade and grabbed her Sniper Rifle, jamming its barrel up against the upper torso of the CGUE, aiming to blow out the linkages to the head and arms without hitting the cockpit, and pulled the trigger.

It seemed like the battle was over, but in a seemingly impossible move the CGUE managed to divert the rifle just enough to miss the head of the unit, instead taking off the arm containing the vulcan shield. Kira cried out as her suit shook with two successive hits, courtesy of the CGUE's legs, forcing her away from the CGUE. "_I must admit,_" a male voice stated over the CGUE's speakers. "_That was impressive, but… this ends now, by my guess, you all have only about one minute of battery time left, and that's just for mobility in non combat situations…_"

Kira checked her gauges - he was close, she had about a minute-thirty. "I'd imagine you're in the same boat," she said over her own speakers.

"_Actually… I have five minutes left,_" he informed. "_Weapons are not the only thing I can customize, Valkyrie._"

"That's pretty impressive, too, as is your preternatural ability to dodge," she remarked. "Tell me something… who hired you? The EA?"

"_You really need to do your research more,_" the man reprimanded. "_I fought off five EA attacks since taking this job, if either side gains a foothold in this canyon, then the village behind me will suffer, my job is to prevent that._"

"So… the EA's been trying to take this village…" she muttered.

One of the other Mercs walked up, weapons lowered. "_For the record, I doubt ZAFT wants to actually take the village,_" they remarked. "_The EA has a Hyper Beam Cannon parked on the main assault route ZAFT would need to take into the EA Base, meaning ZAFT needs an alternate route to at least take out that cannon._"

"_The village still suffers, don't you think the EA already knows this?_" The Pilot asked, a slight snarl to his voice. "_This Canyon will become a battleground, that village hired me to protect it, and as such… all who are a threat to it… will die._"

They were deadlocked, Kira realized… unless… "What if we simply went in and took out that cannon ourselves?" she asked. "Take out ZAFT's main obstacle, they won't need to worry about the Canyon, and the EA will be too busy fending off a ZAFT attack to worry about it, either."

"_Feel free, the EA is not my employer,_" the pilot stated. "_I could care less what happens outside of this canyon._"

"I was kinda hopeful you could be included in that 'we', Dragon," Kira remarked. "It might be outside the terms of your contract, but it would still be protecting the village, in a way."

The Mercenary was silent for a minute, no doubt contemplating her words, the others watched on in tense silence. "_Do you, even have a plan?_" he asked finally. "_Depending on the plan, I might just help you._"

"I'd probably need to radio back to the ZAFT base, but I was thinking a sneak attack," Kira informed. "The ZAFT Forces would launch a frontal assault as a diversion, while we go in, take out any defenders not caught up in the main battle, and take out the cannon itself."

Silence reigned again as the Dragon considered her words. "_How exactly do you mean, 'we go in'?_" he asked cautiously.

"Two units as Snipers on the cliffsides, and three machines going in close," Kira replied. "The remainder would hold the pass, acting as reserves and also in case the EA tries another attack on the village."

A sigh was heard. "_Very well, make the call, I will be replacing this arm you broke,_" he informed as the damaged arm was ejected off of the CGUE. "_Remain here, I will return in 30 minutes._"

"Understood. We're going to need recharging on our machines, as well - if you have spare power units, that would be good, otherwise I'll call in supply units from the base."

"_Opposite of the Village, you can use those to recharge your units,_" the Dragon informed before launching himself into the air and heading for his own supply depot.

Kira started towards where the Dragon had indicated, even as she set her radio to the ZAFT Channels. "ZAFT HQ, this is Valkyrie, do you read?"

"_Command here, what is the situation Valkyrie?_" Came the response. "_Are we clear to move in?_"

"The unit attacking your forces was another mercenary, hired by the village to protect it from both you and the EA," she informed. "He's not letting any official military troops into the village, but I've worked out a slightly different agreement with him. We'll take out that cannon for you, but we'll need you to make a frontal assault as a distraction."

Silence was her reply for a minute, before a shuffling was heard. "_Valkyrie, this is Lieutenant Hos,_" came back the response, the XO talking through the comms now. "_Care to explain that more clearly?_"

"The EA apparently knows the significance of this route as well, and has tried to take the village itself multiple times," Kira reported. "The villagers hired the Black Dragon to defend them from both sides."

"_The Black Dragon?_" came back the hushed whisper. "_And it was the villagers who hired him? I see… so… what exactly are the details of this new plan of yours, Valkyrie?_"

"Our unit, in conjunction with the Dragon, will launch a sneak attack on the cannon - three of us in close, two Snipers, and the rest in reserve as well as to stop any EA forces that try to run by way of the Canyon," she informed. "We'll need you to launch a frontal assault to hold their attention when we make our attack."

The XO hummed before having a hushed conversation with someone on the other line for a moment. "_Commander West has agreed to your plan,_" Hos informed. "_Do you need equipment resupply?_"

"The Dragon is letting us use some power units he has to recharge our machines," Kira replied as they arrived at the units and began hooking them up. "Apart from that…" she looked over her ammo count - she still had plenty of ammo for the Sniper Rifle, along with plenty of ammo for the shotgun… speaking of which… "Did someone pick up my Shotgun?" she asked over the radio channel with the other Mercs.

"_Right here,_" the older Merc said as he handed it to her. "_Pretty ballsy move you did back there, little missy._"

"Thank you," Kira replied as she picked up the shotgun and stored it. Ammo for the Vulcan Cannons looked good, too… "How's everyone looking for ammo?" she asked the other Mercs.

She received various positive replies indicating that most were good for ammo. "_Looks like we are in the clear, lass,_" the elder informed.

"Gotcha," Kira said with a nod, before saying, "We're good to go on Ammo as well, Lieutenant."

"_Very well, we will begin moving our troops into position, radio us when you are in position for the strike,_" came the reply before the line went dead.

Kira hooked up her machine to the power unit, her power supply charging back up to full. '_Well, I managed to get the plan going,_' she thought. '_Here's hoping that it manages to work, even if Murphy shows up to screw with the plan._'

_With Ryu_

Ryu sighed as he attached the power couplings to charge his unit before climbing out and heading to the crane he had prepared for this type of situation. Manipulating the controls he used the crane to maneuver a spare arm into position for attachment and locked it into position.

Working quickly he manually attached all of the connectors himself before pushing the arm in, locking it into place, after running a quick systems check and tested the arm he moved onto selected his weaponry. "Let's see, probably best to bring the rifle and sword, maybe bring my Smoothbore Cannon as well."

As he said that he once again manipulated the crane, grabbing the 105mm Smoothbore Anti-Emplacement Artillery cannon and loaded it onto the unit. "That's my weight limit unfortunately, well, if I need to I'll ditch the cannon and pick up some weapons."

'_The Valkyrie, huh?_' he thought to himself in the back of his head as he worked. '_She's a skilled one alright, smart to, managing to come up with a plan on the fly like that… plus, that older merc, I believe that was Michael 'Iron Shield' McKinzie, the others with them weren't so bad either… about five of them left, including Valkyrie and Iron Shield, so… we're basically an elite unit… I wonder…_'

_With the rest of the Mercs_

The group had finished charging their machines, and were on the ground in front of them, making further plans. "Okay, so we have five left, six if we count the Dragon…" Kira remarked. "OK, what do each of you have in terms of weapons, and how much ammo do you have?"

"I got a Bullpup SMG, Ninjato Heat Blade and about 500 rounds for the SMG," announced a caucasian with brown hair and eyes informed, this was Larry Foulke AKA Solo Wing Pixy, piloting a steel grey Patriot with Crimson Red trim. "I also have about 10 fragmentation grenades."

"Assault Rifle with 300 rounds, GiNN Heavy Blade, and a Ion Cannon," his wingmate, George Cipher, the Demon Lord, informed quietly, his red eyes standing out with his white hair, he was currently piloting a crimson red High Maneuver GiNN with steel grey trim.

"1000 rounds left in the Head Vulcans, a Heat Blade based on the GiNN Heavy Blade, and about 30 throwing knives," remarked a man with spiked dirty blond hair and brown eyes. This was Leonhardt Raglan, the Golden Leo, famous for his gold-painted Patriot. He was also a former Atlantic Federation Soldier, who deserted shortly before the formation of the EA when he refused an order to slaughter an entire village simply because they were supposedly hiding Coordinators.

Kira nodded as she factored in the information, trying to decide on who to leave behind. "Leonhardt, do you mind remaining behind to protect the village?" she asked the man.

"No, I don't mind," Leonhardt replied. "If you need me, don't hesitate to call me, otherwise I won't let any of them past if they try going this way."

"You have my thanks," a voice said as Ryu walked in, a lit cigarette in his mouth. "Are you all ready for the operation?"

"We're ready," Kira replied, "And the ZAFT Commander has agreed to the plan - they're moving their troops into position now, and will wait for my signal to start the attack."

Ryu nodded. "Alright, let's get into position, and watch your step, these fields are the village's livelihood," he informed.

"Right," Kira replied. "Dragon, you and I will be on Sniper Duty," she continued, outlining the plan, "While Pixy, Demon Lord, and Iron Shield attack close in. While they focus on the cannon itself, we'll take out any defenders who aren't caught up in fighting off our diversion."

"Sound enough plan," Michael said with a nod. "Demon Lord, we'll get you into position to use that cannon of yours."

"On the off chance that Dragon and I run out of ammo for our Sniper Rifles, we'll jump down from the cliffs and join the close-in assault," Kira added. "Not that I'm expecting it, since I have about 30 rounds for my rifle still, but who knows what will happen."

"50 rounds remaining for my rifle, and I have a smoothbore with 30 rounds," Ryu informed. "They'll count well."

"All right," Kira said, as the group began leaving the building to get to their machines. "Dragon, let's get up to the cliffs now - the canyon should hide our thruster emissions."

Ryu nodded and headed back outside to his CGUE. "Let's go, I know a good vantage point we can use."

"Lead the way," Kira replied, starting up her Patriot and following Ryu as they headed up the cliffside. The others began moving as well, Michael, Larry, and George going into the canyon itself, while Leonhardt remained at the entrance of the canyon, staying between it and the village.

Kira followed Ryu CGUE as they moved, walking to hide their thrusters. "_We have about five minutes at this rate until we are there,_" Ryu informed her. "_While we are moving, I have a question for you, why are you willing to help defend the village?_"

"They just wanted to stay out of the war, right?" Kira asked. "If someone doesn't want to get involved in this war, I'll respect that - honestly, if the villagers had contacted me instead of you, it might very well be possible that our roles in this encounter might have been reversed."

"_Mm,_" Ryu hummed thoughtfully. "_Not many mercs will go that extra mile…_"

"If someone doesn't want to be involved in any war, it's their right to sit it out," she replied. "Of course, this war is such that it will find everyone eventually - it's up to those who have the ability, power, and will to make a difference to protect those who can't protect themselves."

"_Mm, it's a good thing ZAFT hired who they did,_" he replied. "_It seems you got lucky with the survivors being people who agree with that philosophy._"

"Yeah…" Kira admitted. "Honorable Mercs like us are rather rare, unless you look at Terminal."

"_Mmm,_" came another hum. "_We're getting close, go prone._"

"Right," Kira replied, getting her machine into a prone position and crawling forward.

They soon came close to the edge of the cliff overlooking the EA base, far enough for them to have trouble spotting them, but close enough for them to have a clear shot at the base, with a perfect line on the cannon. "_We need to take out those emplacements there,_" Ryu informed, pointing out a series of emplacements on the side that their team would be exiting the canyon on. "_Aim for their ammo depots as well, make as much chaos as you can in the base to provide them cover as they move to the cannon._"

"Roger," Kira replied, sighting in on the first emplacement before keying the other Mercs and ZAFT forces into the radio. "This is Valkyrie. Dragon and I are in position. Demon Lord, Pixy, Iron Shield, are you in position?"

"_This is Iron Shield here, we are in position and ready to move,_" came the reply.

"ZAFT Forces, are you in position?"

"_This is Wilco-Lead, all ZAFT forces are in position to attack, are you certain you can take out that Cannon?_"

"All we can do is our best, but I believe we can succeed." There were a few seconds of silence as she confirmed all conditions for her shot. "Begin Operation! ZAFT Forces, begin your attack, we'll wait for one minute so you can draw as much of their attention away as possible!"

"_Understood, all forces, move in!_" came the response. "_Get their attention!_"

The ensuing minute was long and tense as they watched the forces leave the base towards the approaching ZAFT forces. "_Open fire!_" Ryu shouted as it hit the one minute mark.

Kira pulled the trigger, her bullet hitting the first emplacement as Ryu's shot hit the second one. Quickly sighting in and shooting the third emplacement, opening the path for the others, she ordered, "Demon Lord, Pixy, Iron Shield, move in!" She then shot a fuel tank near the cannon, creating a massive explosion that destroyed a few more emplacements.

A thunderous roar next to her informed her of Ryu's smoothbore cannon firing, destroying a group of tanks as they attempted to shore up the hole in their defenses. A shot from his rifle destroyed another emplacement. "_Incoming air units!_"

"I see them," Kira informed, spotting a group of four attack helicopters moving in. Sighting in with her Rifle, part of her chided them for staying so close together as she fired, the bullet going through the helicopters in both the lead and trail positions, the twin explosions enough to damage the rotors of the other two, which spiraled down to crash into another fuel tank and a cluster of emplacements. The tank went up in another fireball, while the cluster of emplacements was destroyed, as well.

Another roar from the smoothbore hit an ammo dump sending up a ball of fire as the explosives stored there exploded in a chain reaction.

"Oh? Looks like they're scrambling Fighters now…" Kira remarked, watching a pair of Spearheads beginning to taxi for a runway. "Can't have that!" She sighted in on the first one, just lining itself up for takeoff, and fired, the bullet hitting the engine and turning the Spearhead into a fireball of its own, creating a small crater in the runway - easily fixable, but in a position that left the runway unusable. A second shot destroyed the second Spearhead in a similar fashion.

_With the Ground Team_

Pixy ran through the base, pushing the limits of his Patriot's speed as his Bullpup fired at a group of tanks. "_Iron Shield, you guys coming?_" he asked the elder merc as he protected Demon Lord, ensuring that he got into position for his shot.

"_You forget, your machine was customized for speed,_" Iron Shield replied, positioning his shield to deflect a tank blast, before Demon Lord destroyed the offending tank with his assault rifle. "_Not everyone's Mobile Suits can move as fast as yours, Pixy._"

"_Just keep interceptors off of us, Partner,_" Demon Lord said, a slight amount of amusement in his voice. "_Else you'd have to slow yourself down with my cannon._"

"_You got it, Buddy,_" Pixy replied, his Bullpup destroying another tank just before a loud roar preceded the detonation of another ammo dump. "_Wow, those two are really tearing the place apart!_"

"_They have amazing accuracy,_" Iron Shield said with an approving tone. "_And they seem to know what the other is targeting._"

"_Yeah, that's true,_" Pixy mused. "_I wonder if they're both psychic, or something?_"

"_I think they both have Spatial Awareness on the level of the Zero Squad,_" Demon Lord informed. "_It's the only way to describe their reaction time._"

"_Probably,_" Iron Shield remarked before another fuel tank went up. Checking their positions, he noticed that he and Demon Lord were getting close to the cannon. "_We're almost there - get ready, Demon Lord._"

The Demon Lord nodded as he holstered his rifle and brought out the Ion Cannon. "_Energy levels good, beginning the charge progress,_" he informed as the Ion Cannon began to charge. "_Tee minus one minute._"

They had reached the cannon, so now Iron Shield got behind Demon Lord, placing his shield to protect them from shots. "_One minute, everyone!_" he called out.

"_Understood, Valkyrie, take care of the right flank, I'll take care of the left._" Dragon informed as a group of jeeps armed with Rockets were destroyed by a sniper bullet from Dragon.

"_Sure thing, Dragon!_" Valkyrie replied before another Tank was destroyed by a sniper bullet from her.

Pixy's ninjato was shoved into a tank that was then thrown into another tank. "_Time buddy?_" he asked to his partner who was kneeling behind the Iron Shield.

"_Ten seconds!_" came the reply, when the ten seconds were up he came out around the shielded GiNN and took aim at the cannon. "_Charge Completed, firing!_"

The blast hit the Hyper Beam Cannon dead-center, coring through vital components just as it was about to let off a shot of its own. The explosion from its detonation rocked the ground like an earthquake.

"_Nice Shot, Demon Lord!_" Valkyrie called out. "_Valkyrie to ZAFT Forces, Cannon is down, repeat, Cannon is down!_"

"_Roger that Valkyrie,_" came Wilco-lead's response. "_All forces, cannon is down, repeat cannon is down, move in and secure the EA base!_"

"_Demon Lord, Pixy, Iron Shield, fall back to the Canyon Entrance!_" Valkyrie called out. "_We'll hold the door shut so no EA forces can escape that way!_"

"_Understood,_" Iron Shield responded. "_No one will get through._"

Another roar of the smoothbore took out a hangar as they attempted to scramble their jets, while the Dragon's rifle took out a barracks. "_Here come the ZAFT forces,_" He informed as they entered the base perimeter.

Indeed, ZAFT GiNNs and CGUEs came streaming in from the front of the base, infantry and a few tanks following them up. The job became much easier for the Mercs at that point, as Dragon and Valkyrie continued sniping any aircraft that tried to take off, while Demon Lord, Pixy, and Iron Shield took out any enemy ground units that tried to flee by way of the canyon.

_Several Minutes Later…_

"_That wraps everything up, that you for the assistance Valkyrie, Iron Shield, Demon Lord, Solo Wing,_" Wilco lead said over the radio. "_Command will debrief you when you return._"

"_I'm heading back to the village,_" Dragon informed as he started back. "_I'll send your friend back to the base._"

"Understood," Kira replied, beginning to head to the ZAFT base before pausing a bit. "Once I'm done with my debriefing, Dragon, I'll take my ship and come pick you up - we worked well together today, and I'd honestly like to continue that. What do you say - would you be alright with partnering up with me?"

His CGUE paused for a moment as he considered the possibility. "_It just may be a good idea,_" he said finally. "_We'll talk more later about it._"

"Gotcha," Kira replied. "I'll see you either tonight or tomorrow morning - depends on how long the debrief takes." She then started off towards the ZAFT Base, Demon Lord, Pixy, and Iron Shield following behind her.

_ZAFT Base, Command Center Briefing Room_

"Good work you five," Hos said with a nod. "Not only did you capture the base, but you did it in a way that allowed us to work past the Village the Dragon was guarding, we've sent over some supplies to them as a way of apology for putting them in such a tight spot."

"Good to hear it," Kira replied. "I'm glad we were able to do it this way - No one deserves to be forced into this war if all they want is to peacefully sit out."

Hos nodded his agreement with a sigh. "I will be heading to village myself soon, by the order of the Commander, to broker a defensive agreement with them, while we have rooted out the main EA force from the area, there still may be more who would wish to use those cliffs as a staging area, but that will wait until we have our new base set up."

"Anyways, as for your payments, we have wired the agreed upon sum as well as a bonus to your accounts," he informed. "We will be keeping you all in mind for future jobs that we may need done."

"Thank you very much," Kira replied, standing up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I should head out - I have a prospective new partner I need to meet with."

Hos nodded. "It has been a pleasure Valkyrie, may Haumea smile upon you," he said with a salute as Kira left.

_At the Cliffside Village, a little later_

Ryu looked up a he heard the roar of an engine above him, and spotted a _Valiant_-class carrier flying above the village, settling itself down on the upper parts of the cliffs. "Well, that must be my prospective partner…" he said with a sigh as he moved towards the cliffs, casting an eye out towards where the ZAFT Soldiers were unloading food and farming supplies for the villagers.

He made his way through the cliff tunnels, eventually coming out before the ship where Kira was exiting. "I must say, never expected the Valkyrie to be so young," he announced as they met partway between the ship and the caves.

"Saw a Terminal Agent letting schoolkids try out a Mobile Suit Simulator when I was twelve," she admitted. "Tried it myself, and aced the training mission they gave me - something I heard has not been done on a first try before or since. That was… three years ago now, and I started my career last year - age isn't as important in our career as skill and talent are."

Ryu nodded in agreement as he lit up a cigarette. "So then, what exactly are you expecting from a partnership between us?" he asked. "'Cause there are some things that I am not willing to do."

"For starters, we would pool our resources," Kira informed. "We could still take separate jobs in addition to teaming up for jobs, but we'd put a portion of our earnings into a mutual account. In addition, you would be able to base yourself on my ship - sometimes it can get a little lonely with no one to talk to. Also, I'm kind of hopeful you might be able to customize my machine and weapons a bit - I'm starting to outpace the reaction times on my machine."

Ryu hummed in thought. "How serious are you about this?" he asked. "You do realize, that when you start with one, more will join."

"Very," Kira replied. "I'm making a difference, but there's only so much I can do alone. I'll need help if I want to do more."

She locked eyes with him. "I want to protect all those innocents caught up in this war who can't protect themselves…" she said. "Will you help me?"

"It's a tall order," he mused as he released a cloud of smoke. "But, I know of a way to do it, creating a guild."

"Yes, a guild would work," she replied with a nod. "Would you be willing to help me start it? I feel that we can work well together."

"Hn, might as well," he informed with a shrug. "I also have a few candidates in mind for our guild, but we're also going to need a ship crew, ground crews, a shipyard to do repairs and upgrades…"

"Agreed," she replied. "Well, I look forward to working with you, Dragon."

"Ryu," the merc said to her. "My name is Ryu Hisanaga."

"And my name is Kira Yamato," she replied. "I look forward to working with you, Ryu."

As the two shook hands, neither of them, or any of the rest of the world, knew what had just been set in motion. For from this partnership would rise a Mercenary Guild on par with Terminal, a Guild that would play a great role in the war to come.

The Guild known as Fenrir...

**END CHAPTER**

**CUSTOM SHIPS!**

_Valiant-_Class_, _Mobile Suit Transport  
**Known Ships: **_Avalon, Utopia, Mugen Kano_**  
Special Armor and Equipment: **Laminated Pot Metal Armor  
**Armaments**: 2 x Beam Cannons  
4 x Missile Pods  
Many x Anti-Missile Vulcans  
**Carries: **Up to 15x Mobile suits**  
Sections:  
**Cafeteria  
Bridge  
Hangar  
Crew Quarters, with communal Men and Woman Baths  
Rec Room  
Mobile Suit Pilot Ready Room  
War Room  
Infirmary  
**Appearance:** Based off of the Gagaul-class from MSV-R

**CUSTOM MOBILE SUITS!**

**Model Number:** TSMF-81 Patriot  
**Unit Type:**Multi-purpose Mobile Suit  
**Powerplant:** Ultracompact Energy Battery  
**Manufacture:** Terminal  
**Operator(s):** Terminal, Mercenaries  
**Equipment and Design Features:** Multi-port Attachments  
**Fixed Armament:**  
2x 55mm head vulcans  
2x Anti-Mobile Suit Sword, Stored on waist, hand-carried in use  
**Optional Armaments:  
**It can equip any weapon as needed  
**Pilot:** Many  
**Appearance:** Looks like the RGM-79  
**Colors:** Many Variants


	3. Chapter 2: Building the Guild

Disclaimer: None of us own Gundam SEED. Goddamn Sunrise… Furthermore, any franchises that make cameos here belong to their respective owners.

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

"_Radio"_

Chapter Two: Building the Guild

Mugen Kano, _Bridge, en route to ORB_

"So, you said you have ideas for recruits?" Kira asked curiously as her ship cut through the waves of the sea, sitting at the pilots chair, Ryu sitting at the weapons control station.

"A couple, you might have heard of them," Ryu informed. "I know of a ship pilot, Jeff 'Joker' Moreau, Natural, but one of the best ship pilots you would ever meet, met him in the Academy, but he was denied entrance to the Military, partly due to his attitude towards Coordinators, but mostly due to having Vrolik's Syndrome, or Brittle Bones Disease, don't let it fool you though, he's the best I've ever seen, he'll fly this thing through the eye of a needle."

"I have - he'd definitely make a good pilot for the ship, though it'd probably be best if we let him live in the pilot's seat - send up his meals, let him sleep in the chair, that sort of thing."

Ryu snorted. "Believe me, he's done it before," he informed, a fond smile on his face. "We may want to upgrade the chair to something more comfortable though, else we'd never hear the end of his complaints."

"Right," Kira replied, making a mental note to look into that. "Who else?"

"A Mobile Suit Pilot, named Victor Amsel, call sign, Warrior," he said, leaning back slightly as he pulled out cigarette and lit it up. "He's a close ranged specialist, graduated with honors from the ZAFT Military Academy, became a solo merc after running afoul with a member of the PLANT Council."

"I see," she replied. "Well, I'm looking forward to meeting him, too. Anyone else?"

"Well, I do know a couple of EA pilots, but… they wouldn't join us anytime soon," he mused. "Hmm, I know a ship mechanic, name's Akira Saihasa, I've seen her patch a _Nazca-_class using a single roll of duct tape and some scrap electrical wire."

"Wow, that's pretty impressive," Kira remarked. "She'll definitely be good to have… Anyone else? We could probably use a Captain for the ship for while we're in battle… especially space battles..."

Ryu hummed as he folded his arms across his chest. "Not in mind, but… I know some people who might have some ideas." he informed butting some ash off of the cigarette into an ashtray. "One of whom will be wanting to meet you."

"Right," Kira replied with a nod. "I'm looking forward to meeting them, too."

Ryu snorted, smiling fondly. "Oh you say that now…" he said with a chuckle. "Just wait until you meet the inquisitorial squad."

Kira was slightly confused, but simply shook it off for now. "OK, looks like we're coming up on ORB now…" she remarked, watching the island nation appear and grow larger on the horizon. "Once we put into port we can start looking for any supplies we may need, and if any of your contacts or prospective recruits are here, we can visit them, too."

Ryu nodded. "Right," he agreed. "You have any in mind for recruits?"

"Not really - No one who's actively looking for employment, at least," she remarked. "I might give Samuel a call - see if he has any ideas."

Ryu nodded in understanding. "Right then," he said as he stood up. "I'll go get the jeeps ready for disembarking, you good for docking this thing?"

"Yeah - I've done it several times before," she replied. "The only perk to operating a ship by yourself is that you quickly learn how to do everything that is needed."

Ryu chuckled. "Certainly better than paying shipping fees for all of your equipment," he said. "Took up half my check sometimes."

"I can imagine," Kira replied with a smile and a bit of a chuckle. "Well, at least you won't need to worry about that anymore, right?"

"Load off my back!" he informed as he exited the bridge, heading for the hangar.

She smiled, before busying herself with the task of getting docking clearance and actually docking the ship.

She knew she was going to enjoy working with Ryu… and maybe getting to know him…

_Luck of the Irish Pub, Onogoro Island, ORB_

"Dontcha think that be enough whiskey?"

A young brown haired man shifted his morose gaze up at the bartender and narrowed his eyes. The barkeep, a rather attractive woman of Irish descent, slightly flinched at the cold gaze. "Right, stupid question."

The young man just gave a hollow smirk and put the glass down. "If you don't mind, I would like some more."

The barkeep, Molly, her name was as he recalled, raised an eyebrow. "Are ye sure ye not drunk?"

"I don't get drunk."

The young man in question was around the age of seventeen, being the drinking age in ORB was sixteen, he wasn't questioned all that much when entering such an establishment. He had eyes that were the deepest sapphire and a rather athletic build. His wavy, brown hair was unkempt, but in a rather attractive way. He also had the shadow of a beard growing on his face, being indicative of not shaving for a couple of days. His face showed no wrinkles save for laugh lines that have long since gone unused.

Yes, Ethan Varrick was not a happy man.

Commander Ethan Varrick was a hero. An ace pilot among the ZAFT military core and a prodigy coming out of the academy. A winner of two Order of the Nebula awards for heroic action at Yggdrasil and Jachin Due, where he piloted a black GINN High Maneuver Type which earned him one of his iconic names, the Black Ghost of Jachin Due.

But a name in which he was truly proud of being given was one he was given by a man he respected and exasperated him to no end. His one rival, the Hawk of Endymion Mu La Flaga had once said at the Battle of Alphonsus Crater, "Damn, this guy moves like he's the Thunder God himself!"

Thus he was crowned, jokingly by his team, ZAFT's Flying Thunder God, or Hiraishin as one Lieutenant Genma Kosaka coined it.

But, luck would not be on his side as he remembered the agonizing screams of his team at the Battle of Endymion Crater.

With that, after waking up in the hospital and accidentally finding out something he wasn't supposed to hear, he resigned his commission and went to his last remaining family in ORB. Which brings us to this moment, in which he is seemingly drowning his sorrows in glass after glass of Ireland's finest whiskey.

He looked at his glass for a moment and raised it. "Well, here's to you my team. Hope you're not fucking around in heaven."

Ethan downed the drink quickly as he then turned towards Molly the barkeep. "Another one Molly."

Molly sighed. "Ye know, ye shouldn't dwell like this."

Ethan gave her a flat look. "Is this the part where you give that stereotypical speech of how my friends, family, and team wouldn't want to see me getting smashed in a bar like this? If you are about to, you can save it."

"Nah, wasn't going to do that speech. It would be too cheesy and ye are making me lots of money by sitting here being a sad sack. All I'm saying is you should stop dwelling on that drink and get something a bit more expensive."

Ethan blinked at the unexpected statement. "I smell bullshit and you are covered in it."

Molly shrugged. "Ye didn't make it easy for me. I had a whole thing goin' and ye ruined it."

The formerly depressed solder could only laugh.

At that moment the doors of the bar opened as Kira and Ryu walked in.

"Hey Molly!" Ryu called out over the din of the bar. "Still trying to seduce men into buying expensive drinks?"

"I dunno what ye talkin' about Ryu."

Ethan snorted. "'Course you don't."

Ryu rolled his eyes as he took a seat at the bar, Kira sitting next to him. "This is my new partner Kira, Kira, this is Molly, she puts me in touch with some new clients and pilots if I need to form a team," he explained. "Bottle of my usual whiskey, two glasses."

Molly only smirked. "Plannin' sumtin' Ryu? Does it have anything to do with the lovely lady sittin' next to you?" She looked Kira over. "I hope she isn't underage."

"Molly, for the love of god…"

"Can't handle the talk, E?"

"No, its not that. It's just if the girl gets any more red she could start smoking."

Indeed Kira was a bright cherry red as she ducked her head to hide her blazing red cheeks, making Ryu chuckle. "She's new to that kinda talk. Mol," he informed. "And it's her birthday soon, so, no worries."

Ethan raised his glass. "Congratulations. I wish you the best."

Molly gave Ethan a flat look. "That's it?"

"That's what?"

"She's turnin' the big 16 and all ye can say is that ye wish her the best?"

He gave her an owlish look. "What do you want me to say? Hey baby, let's go celebrate your birthday in my pants?"

"Well…"

"Molly…head out of the gutter. Please."

Ryu chuckled as Kira's cheeks lit up again. "Hey ease up on my partner, she ain't used to this," he said. "Also, can you get a booth ready, we're waiting on a third."

Molly smirked, "Menage a trois, Ryu? So naughty."

Ethan did a massive spit take. "Molly! What the hell?"

The barkeep could only laugh. "Ye folks are too fun ta tease."

Kira blushed once more. She was having a bit of trouble getting used to all the teasing.

The former ZAFT commander gave Molly a flat look. "I thought I coaxed the teasing out of you last night."

"Nae. Ye only made me more motivated today. Although, if ye want to silence me…"

Ethan smirked. "I think it can be arranged."

Ryu gave Ethan a slight glare. "You're as bad as she is."

"Meh. Not nearly as bad. I just do this to her to try and throw her off guard. You can see how it's failing miserably."

Ryu sensed a but in there."But?"

"Oh I did fuck the living daylights out of her though."

Molly's smirk only grew wider. "Ye know E, I thought we were goin' ta keep that between us."

"You would have used it soon enough."

She huffed. "No fun."

Ethan just chuckled.

Ryu only rolled his eyes in response. "Whatever, it'll be Joker swinging by, so point him to the usual place Molly," Ryu stated as he grabbed the whiskey and cups. "Good luck trying to keep _her _in control."

The seventeen year-old smirked. "Oh. I have my ways of doing so."

Molly gave a sultry smile. "Does it involve that seal club ye got between those legs?"

"Maybe. By the way, I seem to have run out of whiskey. Do you think you can get me another?"

Rolling his eyes again, Ryu led Kira to a table situated in a darker corner in the bar. "Sorry about her, she's never developed a brain to mouth filter," he informed as he set the glasses down before opening the whiskey bottle and pouring some into both glasses. "Not to mention her brain is directly linked to her pussy so… yeah…"

Kira blushed again. "I… noticed…" she said. "She does seem rather nice, though…"

Ryu shrugged. "Once you get past her sexual talk, then yeah she is," he said taking a sip of his drink with a small hum of appreciation. "I often use her as a go between for clients and other merc pilots if I had a need for them, a lot of both pass through this bar."

"I see," she remarked. "So… I told you about how I became a mercenary… how about you?"

Ryu shrugged. "Got kicked out of the Academy after being subjected to some trumped up court martial charges," he said with disinterest. "I had a friend in the Junk Guild who offered me the CGUE I used at a low price, so I chose to take it and be a merc."

Kira nodded. "I see…" she said. "That must have been hard, at least at first."

Ryu shrugged again. "My dad, a Vice Admiral, put me in touch with a few of his contacts outside of the military, did some work for them and word spread from there," he replied casually. "He's also thrown me a few jobs himself for the stuff his branch can't take care of, either officially or unofficially."

She nodded. That made sense. "Samuel's done the same thing for me," she said. "He's the Terminal Agent who ran that simulation I told you about, and helped me get started."

Ryu hummed in response, pushing the second glass of whiskey over to her. "Drink up, a toast to our partnership," he said, raising his glass.

Kira nodded, raising her own glass. "Cheers," she said, before clinking their glasses together, and then proceeding to take a sip from the glass.

Ryu smirked around his as she coughed from the burn of the alcohol down her throat. "That's the smooth stuff too," he informed her as she coughed. "Some can feel like you're swallowing glass."

"M-my throat feels like it's on fire!" she croaked. "How can you stand drinking that on a regular basis?"

Ryu could only chuckle at the girl. "You'll get used to it after a few drinks."

Kira only shook her head at him. "If you say so…" she said.

They both looked up as a person entered the bar, he was wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans with a ball cap on his head, and had to use crutches to move around. "That's our man," Ryu informed as he watched Joker go up to the bar only for Molly to point him towards their table. "How've you been, Joker?"

"Not too badly, Ryu," Joker said as he joined them, taking a seat and placing an empty glass down, a glass that Ryu quickly poured some whiskey into. "So… you are actually doing it, forming a guild?" he asked, looking over at Kira.

Ryu nodded. "That I am, this is my new partner, Kira, and as it is her ship, she's the one you have to convince to allow you to pilot it."

"Personally, after what I've heard about you, I'd be all for it," she said. "I'd like to test you out first, though - let you take it on a simple 'there and back' run to confirm that you'll do well at the controls before making the final decision."

"I can handle any kind of ship you've got!" Joker declared. "I can fly an _Agamemnon_-class through the debris belt without hitting a single piece of debris."

"It's a _Valiant_-Class Transport," Kira informed. "We'll give you your test tomorrow - If you can pass the test, consider yourself part of the crew."

"A _Valiant_-class?" Joker asked with a low whistle. "Now _those_ are hard to come by…"

"I was given it a year ago - started off my career," Kira replied. "I look forward to seeing how well you can handle her."

Joker grinned in response. "Boss, I'll fly that thing through the eye of a needle without even scratching the paint on it," he informed confidently. "Here I was all worried about you having some old junker that shakes whenever you go past a certain speed."

Kira laughed. "I look forward to seeing the results, then," she said. "We'll see you tomorrow morning at the docks… or we can pick you up from wherever you're staying, if you'd prefer."

"I'll meet you at the docks, I ain't so crippled that I can't get around town," Joker informed as he used his crutches to pull himself to his feet. "I'll see you in the morning then, later!"

Kira nodded as Joker walked off. "Well, there's our helmsman," she remarked to Ryu. "We going to meet anyone else today, or do we want to shop for a more comfortable helm chair for Joker?"

"Well, if I'm going to be upgrading your unit, we'll be needing some parts to do so, I have a contact within Morgenroete here on Onogoro that can get the parts for us," he informed. "Also she's been wanting my opinions on a Mobile Suit that is being developed for ORB, so I can make my consultation fees the parts we're going to need."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Kira replied as the two of them stood up from the table. "Shall we head over there now, then?"

"Sure," Ryu agreed as he stood, picking up the whiskey as he left some cash on the table. "Shouldn't take too long, she just needs some double checking on the framework of the unit."

"Let's get going, then - maybe I can provide some feedback on this thing, as well."

"Feel free," Ryu agreed. "Might be able to squeeze a bit more out of her if you do."

_With Takeshi_

Takeshi sat in a chair in the lounge area of Terminal's _Discovery_ R&D Base, which he'd been stationed at for the past year.

The Custom Patriot he'd been supplied was much better than even his old Patriot, but he was running into the limits of its response times once again. He was hopeful that Old Man Aeolia would get his custom Prototype finished soon, so he could start trial runs with it. Luckily, they'd managed to settle on a basic design, and a total of seven different bladed weapons.

Hearing someone enter he spotted a red haired, grey eyed woman wearing the Terminal Recruit uniform with a miniskirt and stockings instead of the pants, a white ship on her left shoulder marking her as a bridge operator.

Takeshi smiled at her. "Welcome," he said. "You new here?"

The girl blinked before nodding slightly. "Ah, yeah, just finished boot," she informed as she took a seat in one of the chairs. "I got sent here to be the Mobile Suit Operator on the new ship that's being developed."

Takeshi nodded. He'd heard there was a new ship being built here, in conjunction with his new MS. "Similar for me, only it's a Prototype MS," he said. "My name's Takeshi Yamato. What's yours?"

"Linda… just Linda," she informed with a slight sigh. "It's nice to meet you, Takeshi."

"Nice to meet you too, Linda," Takeshi remarked, blushing slightly as he gazed at her figure. "I'm looking forward to working with you."

Linda noticed his blush and smirked slightly. "Like what you see?" she asked teasingly, gesturing to her body. "Perhaps you're looking forward to seeing more of this?"

"Y… yeah…" Takeshi replied with a rather visible gulp, even as he started blushing harder. "You… you're very beautiful, Linda…"

Linda laughed. "Well, at least you're honest about it, unlike most men," she informed, laughing again. "I was considering changing my Bisexuality to Lesbianism, well, until I met you…"

Takeshi could swear his jaw was on the floor. "You… you're bisexual?" he wondered, shocked. "So… would that mean, if we developed a relationship… you'd want to maybe include a second girl in the relationship, as well?"

Linda smirked coyly at Takeshi. "Oh… already making plans are we?" she teased playfully. "My my, aren't you forward."

Takeshi's cheeks were bright red now. "I… I… uh…" he stammered, brain not really working all that well in reaction to her teasing. "If… if you're willing… I'd definitely like to try getting to know you better… see where we end up?"

Linda laughed again. "Nice recovery," she said between her chuckles. "And, I think I might take you up on that offer."

Takeshi smiled again, thankfully getting his blushing and stammering under control. "Thank you, Linda," he replied. "I look forward to getting to know you better."

Linda chuckled. "Oh, you are going to be so fun to tease," she said with a wide smile. "So innocent and pure…"

"Y… yeah…" Takeshi replied with a slight chuckle of his own. "Never really had a girlfriend before I signed up for Terminal, and didn't have much time for relationships in Boot… honestly, my only constant female interaction until three years ago was my Imouto."

"Your sister?" Linda asked curiously. "Is she in Terminal as well?"

"No," Takeshi replied with a shake of his head. "Kira-Imouto became a solo merc, starting her career last year. She's only 15, if you can believe that!"

Linda blinked. "Wait… you don't mean the Valkyrie, do you?" she asked. "I heard the other recruits talking about her, the youngest Merc who has a near perfect mission success rate!"

"Yeah, that's her," Takeshi remarked, smiling a bit - he'd heard some of the stories about his sister, as well. "She first discovered her potential at 12, when she tried out an MS Simulator Terminal had provided to her school at Copernicus for a day, and practically aced the mission provided to her on her first try!"

"Really?" Linda asked. "I've heard that even some of the seasoned pilots have trouble acing it, wow, she must really be something else then…"

"Yeah, she is," he replied. "She was also really good at Phys Ed Classes at school, and if you got her on a computer network… I swear, she could hack the EA, ZAFT, Orb, and Terminal Mainframes simultaneously if she wanted to."

"Really?" Linda asked in surprised. "Wow, she must be something else then, I'm surprised Terminal or ZAFT haven't tried to recruit her yet…"

"The Terminal Recruiter who ran that simulator suggested joining Terminal to her," Takeshi replied. "According to what he told me later, she wanted to go freelance, rather than be in my shadow, and he actually helped her get set up."

"Wow, to even get a recruiter to set her up with no strings…" Linda whispered. 'That's… really something…"

"Yeah, that she is," Takeshi remarked, proud of his sister. "What about you, Linda? What's your family like?"

Linda sighed again. "My father is an ass through and through, mother wasn't really that much better, being an airhead trophy wife who believes that my father tells her to believe, my little sister though… I kinda feel sorry for leaving her behind, she's a nice kid, and she's really kind, but… I'm worried about my father's Blue Cosmos bullshit affecting her to much," she explained. "I can't really run interference anymore as he disowned me and kicked me out, not that I care much."

Takeshi winced. "That doesn't sound good," he remarked. "Sorry if I brought up bad memories for you."

Linda shrugged. "I don't really care about it anymore," she informed. "Right now, I'm saving up my earnings to hopefully get a place that I can have Flay, my sister, move into, maybe somewhere in Orb where she can get away from all the Blue Cosmos bullshit."

Takeshi smiled a bit at that. "A good goal," he remarked. "You mind having a little help? I've made a fair amount over my time at Terminal, and I don't have too many opportunities to spend it - I'd be happy to help you get your sister out of there."

Linda blinked in surprise, staring at Takeshi in shock. "You would really do that?" she asked. "You would just give money to a person you _just _met?"

"Like I said, it's not like I'm spending any of it on my own," Takeshi remarked. "Besides, if your former father is as much of an asshole, getting your sister away from him ASAP is the right thing to do, and I'm willing to help in that endeavor, however I can."

Linda grinned. "Thanks, and you better be careful, or you may find yourself strapped to my bed with me riding you all night long," she informed, her voice saucy.

Takeshi's blush returned at full force. "I doubt you'd need to actually strap me to your bed," he remarked. "Even from just this meeting I find myself enjoying your company very well, not to mention admiring your beauty. If it gets to that point, I'd definitely be okay with giving you my virginity."

"Aww, you haven't even popped your cherry~," Linda cooed. "Tell me, is mister righty lonely at night?"

Takeshi sputtered a bit. '_She's definitely going to be interesting,_' he thought, even as they continued their conversation. '_And… I definitely wouldn't mind developing a relationship with her…_'

_With Ryu and Kira, Morgenroete Testing and Production Labs_

"Ryu, thank you for coming," a dark blond haired woman with light blue eyes greeted the pair as they waited in the reception area. "Some of the data for the framework isn't matching up with what we want and were hoping for your assistance in the matter."

Ryu shrugged. "Not a problem, Erica," he said. "This is Kira Yamato, I've recently partnered up with her, Kira, this is Erica Simmons, the chief engineer for Morgenroete."

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Simmons," Kira said with a bow.

"A pleasure to meet you as well Miss Yamato," Erica replied with a bow of her head. "I take it you brought her in to extort even more out of us, Ryu?"

Ryu shrugged. "Of course, Erica, after all, I'm a merc, not a millionaire," he informed, unrepentant. "I got a list for our payment here," he said as he held out a clipboard with a sheet of paper on it.

Erica didn't even glance at it as she accepted it. "We'll deliver it in the usual fashion, another transport ship?" she asked.

Ryu shook his head in denial, before thumbing at Kira. "_Valiant_-class, _Mugen Kano._" he informed. "Her ship."

"Gained it a year ago when I started my career, and it's served me well," Kira added. "Though maintenance can often take a fair amount out of a paycheck…"

"I'm sure Ryu would be able to help with that," Erica informed. "He's a fair hand a ship maintenance, although Mobile Suits and Armor are where he really shines. Also as to your request from earlier, the higher ups approved of it in return for a job from you."

Ryu nodded. "It'll have to be within reason, I don't get involved in politics for a _very _good reason." he informed as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Me, neither," Kira remarked. "I can handle standard military jobs, but if a politician is directly involved in the contract, I usually turn it down and look for something else, not counting for extraordinary circumstances."

"No worries on it being a political job," Erica informed. "It won't be on for another year yet, it'll be an oversight job while your request is being built," her eyes flicked over to Kira. "I take it another one will be added."

"Once I get a grasp on her abilities, yes," Ryu informed with a nod.

Kira tilted her head curiously. "And just what is it my new partner requested from you, Miss Simmons?" she asked. "I'm assuming it's a Mobile Suit of some kind, but I'd like to know for sure."

"A mobile suit he designed himself, originally the higher ups wanted the schematics for it as payment, but Ryu shot that one down quickly," Erica explained as she began to lead them through the hallways of the complex. "But, his skills are enough for a payment on him borrowing a factory for awhile to produce the suit."

"My CGUE is having trouble keeping up with me nowadays," Ryu informed. "Even with all of my modifications, I can only do so much with the base frame, might end up selling it to the highest bidder once I get the new unit produced and ready."

"I'm having the same problem with my Patriot, to be honest," Kira remarked. "My response times are just outpacing those of the Patriot. It's small, barely noticeable at this point, but I can tell it's not moving as fast as I am."

"Then I'll definitely need to pull up some designs," Ryu said with a sigh as they entered into a laboratory like room filled with schematics from everything from Ships to Mobile Suits. "Right then, what are you having trouble with, Erica?"

"The framework seems to be having trouble supporting the weight of the mobile suit's mass," Erica explained as she pulled out a schematic of the base of a mobile suit. "Our contractors want the unit to be more durable than what ZAFT has now, and while we found a type of armor that can be used, we can't fight the right type of frame to support it on."

Ryu closely examined the schematic before him. "Your problem is that you're basing it to much off of the ZAFT GiNN and CGUE lines," he informed as he traced a hand over the shoulders of the frame. "Those units were built specifically for the armor they have now, you might be better off using the Patriot as a base for the unit."

"Yeah, the Patriot would be a good base frame for this thing," Kira remarked, before gaining a quizzical look. "Also, might I ask what you'll be using for armor?"

"Unfortunately it's classified for the most part," Erica informed with a sigh. "It drains the power at a good rate, and its total mass is there on the schematics, that's the most I can tell you, unfortunately."

"Understandable, there's nothing stopping us from selling the plans for it to the highest bidder if you showed us," Ryu said with a nod. "For the Frame, I would suggest using a Titanium-Carbonatite mix, maybe 90-10 mixture level, that should help reduce the strain on not only the weight, but the G-Forces as well, for the circuitry your best best is having a copper lining for it."

"Expensive, but within the budget," Erica agreed as she took down some notes.

Kira nodded. "It definitely looks like you're coming along nicely," she remarked. "I kind of doubt I'd like to be on the wrong side of it when it's done." She then paused. "Also, Ryu, do you think you'd be willing to let me see the design for the machine you've ordered? We can also work on designing a machine for me, if you'd like."

"I have it back on the ship," he informed, making a gesture in the vague direction of the ship. "I'm keeping it close to my chest, a lot of things in it that I have… acquired over the years."

"I see," Kira remarked, making a note at how secretive Ryu was about it. "Well, let's see if we can come up with a decent machine for me - I think the Patriot would be a decent base to start from there, as well."

"Perhaps," Ryu said with a shrug. "I have a simulation that I'll need to run you through before I can get started on the designs, I need to know what you are capable of and what your potential is, the simulation will help me figure that all out."

"Sure," Kira replied. "We can do that now, if Miss Simmons doesn't need us for anything."

"Not for now…" Erica replied as she continued to make notes. "I may call you for more help if I need it."

"Right, see ya later Erica," Ryu said as he and Kira headed out. "Good luck."

Erica absently waved at them as they left, paying attention to her notes as she went to work. Meanwhile, Kira and Ryu started their way to Morgenroete's Mobile Suit Simulators.

Erica almost didn't notice that she had an intruder.

"Did you know the trouble I had to go through to get these plans?"

She looked up at her new guest, who gave her a falsely stern look. "Ethan, you've got them for me! You're such a dear."

Ethan smiled mirthfully. "The things I do for you, darlin'. So what are you working on?"

Erica's smile faltered slightly. "Oh, some special orders for a client or two."

"These clients wouldn't happen to be the famous Dragon and Valkyrie I've been hearing so much about, would they?" Ethan smirked.

Erica deadpanned. "I'm not even going to ask how you know."

"They need to learn that they may be in a bar, but if someone has hearing like mine…"

"Lucky for them, no one has hearing like yours." Erica then turned back to her notes. "Though I could use your help on a problem."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "What's the problem?"

"My clients suggested that I use a 90-10 mixture of Titanium and Carbonatite to reduce the strain of the weight and G-forces."

He raised an eyebrow. "That's not a bad idea. But I hope they're ready to spend some pretty major cash on that project. Getting that mixture that accurate without any impurities is very hard. It is also very hard to find a supplier that would do it with no questions asked."

"And that's why I need your help, I need you to find suppliers for that," Erica informed. "May be best to use multiple sources."

Ethan shook his head. "That's a very tall order. One thing, being 'retired' I don't have the pull I once had. Two, multiple sources won't work because this mixture has to be very particular. The slightest impurity could compromise the integrity of the entire frame and it would be completely useless. Third, the companies that are the best to talk to about getting this alloy are strictly controlled by both the Earth Alliance and ZAFT. You would have to get their okay if you were going to get that compound."

He continued. "December MetalWorks won't sell to anyone on the Earth. They're controlled by Zala almost exclusively. He trusts no one." He looked at Erica. "The other company is Acteon Industries. Because of that little project going on in Heliopolis…"

Erica's eyes snapped to the brown-haired teen's face in surprise. "How did you…? Never mind, I forgot who I was talking to."

Ethan smirked. "Anyway, you may get them to get you some of their supply, but they are big sticklers on knowing what that will be used for. They will find out if you are lying. Their CEO is a bigwig in LOGOS, so I'm not sure you want to piss them off. At least, not yet."

"Mm, but… there is one more we may be able to turn to, in O.M.N.I… a certain Vice Admiral of the Intelligence Division…" Erica said as she reached into a desk and pulled out a card. "Dragon gave me this if I needed to… acquire resources…"

"Hmm," Ethan went into some deep thought for a second. "Vice-Admiral Hisanaga, huh? An interesting idea, but you are underestimating how paranoid these people are. Besides, you could just use Vibranium. Just as good and much easier to obtain. I mean, doesn't Morgenroete have a monopoly on the stuff?"

"Too heavy and far too expensive for units this size." Erica replied. "We had considered many variations of its application, at most, we may be able to make a ramming shield with it."

He sighed. "Alright, we'll go with your method. Just means I have to go and 'take care of some trash' if you catch my drift. Here was to hoping that I wouldn't have to deal with Blue Cosmos bastards again."

"I highly doubt that the Vice-Admiral is a supporter of Blue Cosmos," Erica informed. "After all, his eldest son, is a Coordinator."

"I wasn't talking about Vice-Admiral Hisanaga. I know he's not a supporter. It's just that the people who run Acteon are also in league with Blue Cosmos. Their head is a Logos member and they are very particular about making sure that their stock is used for theirs, or people with similar ideals, purposes. If they find out the real reason you need the stuff…" He paused. "Well, let's just say you're going to need more than a Vice-Admiral in your pocket just to be safe. Just be cautious."

Erica nodded. "Still, they're our best bet right now, plus… the Dragon's dad is a maverick in his own right," she informed. "So many seem to forget, he got his ranking by being the best commando they've ever had."

Ethan instinctively rubbed his side, where there was a scar. "I certainly didn't forget."

Erica snorted. "Let me guess, you thought to break in didn't you?" she asked. "And ran into the Vice Admiral and his second?"

"In my defense, it was a sanctioned mission and a certain masked piece of crap tried to get me killed by blowing my cover."

"Well, the Vice Admiral was kind enough to leave you alive at least," Erica pointed out. "Without sicking his son on you either, he must like you."

Ethan snorted. "Well, I did tell him I was planning on retiring. Also, my mission wasn't to get information, it was to give it." He rubbed his side again. "Of course, he did stick a Balisong in my side and barely missed my kidney. But I got even. I told him I'd get him a drink the next time we crossed paths as an apology."

Erica laughed. "Well, you survived a meeting with the nightmare of ZAFT's ground forces and lived to tell the tale," she teased. "Maybe he'll give you some new scars on your next meeting."

"I'll repay him in kind if that happens," Ethan then gave a sly smirk. "I did nearly slash his eye out."

Erica simply shook her head with another chuckle as she made a shooing motion with her hand. "Go, duel with the king of the war's underbelly," she said teasingly. "Try to get our materials before you die though."

"Heh. I'll try. By they way, here's the schematics that you wanted. ZAFT's little pet project that they have IDB working on in order to replace the need for Guuls. Meanwhile, I'll give Ryuzaki a call. Maybe I can finally get him that drink."

"Thank you," Erica said as she inserted the flash drive he handed her and looked the file over. "HiMAT, interesting..."

_Meanwhile, with Kira and Ryu_

Kira sighed a bit as she got out of the simulator. "Finally…" she muttered, before looking over at Ryu. "That was one of the toughest things I've ever done… none of my jobs, or even my first training scenario, ever compared to _**that**_."

Ryu chuckled as he looked over the results. "That's how it's supposed to be, or did you think that a test of your latent potential would be a walk in the park?" he asked teasingly. "I should be able to get a good working model going with this, we will be doing more tests to fine tune it later in the development though."

"I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but still…" she said, before perking up a bit. "Still, I'm glad we were able to get the data you needed."

Ryu shrugged. "Now I need to translate this data to creating a mobile suit, I should have the base plans ready in a week or so," he informed, before his phone started to ring. "Hang on a sec. Hisanaga here."

"_Hello there, Ryu,_" came the voice of Ryuzaki Hisanaga over the phone.

"Hey Dad," Ryu responded, a small smile crossing his face. "How's it going, and knives aimed at your back?"

"_It's going okay, and knives are _**always**_ aimed at my back,_" Ryuzaki replied with a chuckle. "_Anyway, I recently heard a rumor that you'd partnered up with someone…_"

"Of course you have," Ryu said with a chuckle. "Knowing you you're looking at their file with everything from their favorite food, to the number of hairs on their head."

Another chuckle from Ryuzaki. "_A bit of an exaggeration, but yes, I am looking at their - or should I say _**her**_ - file,_" he said. "_I hope you'll bring her by for a visit sometime - I'd say relatively soon._"

Ryu chuckled. "I was expecting that, we're in ORB right now and we'll be testing out a potential pilot for her ship tomorrow, but we should be able to leave after that," he explained. "Should be there in about a week I suppose."

"_That's good,_" Ryuzaki replied. "_I'll have a small job for you at that time as well - nothing official, just something I can only trust you with._"

"Yeah, not a problem, Dad," Ryu said with a small chuckle. "Let the others know I'll be by soon, will ya? Later." Hanging the phone up, Ryu let out a soft sigh with a gentle smile on his face. "Crazy old man, told him he should've kept distance between us, but what does he go do, hires me at any chance he gets."

"Probably knows he can trust you," Kira replied. "From what you told me, he's EA, right? Well, given that Blue Cosmos seems to run a majority of the EA, I'd imagine there are some things that he can only trust you to take care of."

Ryu shook his head. "No, it's more than that, hell, he has five divisions of commandos loyal to him," he informed. "You should know that the commandos are the only reason the EA is still in this war, no, he's doing this for something else, crazy bastard's planning something crazy…"

"Well, we'll find out for certain when we see him," Kira replied. "Anyway, what's next on the agenda?"

"Getting Joker his seat," Ryu informed with a sigh. "I know a place we can do that, best to go with the civilian sector for it, military doesn't really account for pilots living their lives in the pilots chair."

_Meanwhile, with Takeshi and Linda_

Takeshi and Linda were now seated next to each other in a meeting room, going over documents and maps.

"Okay, so if we're going to get your sister out from under your former father's thumb," Takeshi was saying, "we need to figure out the following - how to get close to her without your former father knowing it, how to get her out, and most importantly, where we can send her so that she's away from the war and your former father can't get to her."

"ORB would be the best place to bring her," Linda said. "Even Dad isn't willing to risk their wrath over a single person…"

"Right…" Takeshi replied with a nod. "But do we want to bring her to Onogoro, or to one of their space colonies? Heliopolis might be a good choice - yeah, it's close to Artemis, but they're so far away from the fighting that it's not much of a difference - plus, I've heard a few rumors that Terminal is making plans to either purchase or take Artemis from the Eurasians…"

"Heliopolis would be the best bet," Linda informed. "It would be far too easy for him to get the commandos he has in his pocket onto Onogoro Island… but how do we get close?"

"That's going to be the tricky bit," Takeshi remarked. "We can't grab her at his house, it's probably too heavily guarded… do you know where she goes to school? If her security detail there isn't too heavy, we could get close either just before she gets there or just as she leaves, or even sneak her out in the middle of school under some kind of official-sounding pretense."

"She had a minimal security escort when I was still living with them," Linda said. "And her teachers have always favored me over our father…"

"That seems like our best bet, then," Takeshi remarked. "We go to the school, get the help of her teachers, and sneak her out during school, so that your former father doesn't know anything's wrong until we're long gone. Now, securing transport… we could easily use a Terminal Transport to get in and out, but we want this to be untraceable…"

"Wait, you said your sister was a Mercenary right?" Linda asked as an idea hit her. "What about her? Mercs are everywhere, and she would surely have a place where Flay could hide should the authorities search her ship."

Takeshi's eyes widened. "That… that might actually work…" he remarked. He got out his Terminal-issue cell phone and selected one of his speed-dial settings. "Here's hoping Kira-Imouto never changed her phone number…" he muttered as he waited for the signal to go through.

"_Take-nii, what's up?_" Kira asked as she picked up her phone.

"I have a bit of a job for you, Imouto," Takeshi replied. "Nothing too tough - mainly a simple transport job. Where are you going to be in…" he looked at a nearby calendar as he calculated travel times… "about a week from now?"

He heard Kira say something to someone on the other end of the line, although he couldn't catch what was said. "_Ontario,_" she replied finally. "_Formed a partnership and his family wants to meet me, why?_"

"One moment," Takeshi replied, before turning back to Linda. "You said your former father's residence was in DC, right?"

Linda nodded. "Yeah, although Flay goes to a boarding school in Michigan," she explained.

Takeshi nodded. "I don't want to discuss the details over phone lines like this, Imouto," he said into the phone. "I'll see you in Ontario in a week, all right? We can go into details then."

"_Sure thing, Take-nii,_" Kira agreed, obviously smiling on the other line. "_I'll introduce my new partner to you as well when we meet._"

"Sure thing, Imouto," Takeshi replied with a smile. "See you then." He then hung up. "Well, now we need to go get permission from Old Man Aeolia and Captain Aslin to go on this expedition - I'd imagine they'll give it, but it's better to be official than going AWOL."

"I think that would be a good idea," Linda agreed with a wry smirk. "After all, I'd hate to lose my job."

"Agreed," Takeshi replied with an equal smirk. "Come on, let's go swing by Old Man Aeolia's office, first."

With that, the two stood up and left the room, headed to visit with Aeolia in his office.

An hour later, a Terminal Shuttle left _Discovery_, carrying Takeshi, Linda, and a few additional Terminal Agents to Ontario, to start the operation to retrieve Flay Allster and get her out from under her father's thumb…

**END CHAPTER**


	4. Chapter 3: Meetings and Goodbyes

Disclaimer: None of us own Gundam SEED. Goddamn Sunrise… Furthermore, any franchises that make cameos here belong to their respective owners.

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

"_Radio"_

Chapter Three: Meetings and Goodbyes

Mugen Kano, _Toronto Ship Port_

"Toronto Control this is _Valiant_-class _Mugen Kano, _on approach and requesting permission to dock." Joker informed over the radio as he guided the carrier through the waters of Lake Ontario towards the sprawling metropolis.

"Valiant_-class, _Mugen Kano_, you are cleared for approach for Dock Five, uploading course to your navigational systems._" Control responded.

"Five by Five Control, course settings received and are on approach to Dock Five," Joker confirmed as he skillfully guided the ship through the port, the smaller vessels giving the Sea/Air/Space carrier a wide berth and with an ever so slight bump Joker pulled into the dock with the magnetic locking clamps holding the ship into place. "And we are landed. Thank you control." He turned in the cushy leather seat to Ryu and Kira, Kira sitting in the captain's chair, Ryu was sitting at the weapons control station. "Alright, be honest, I am completely amazing, right?"

Ryu snorted and rolled his eyes at Joker's statement. "Right, because following the docking course is _such _a hard job," he replied sarcastically getting a glare from the pilot.

"Don't tease him, Ryu," Kira remarked as she stood up from the Captain's chair. "Good work, Joker."

Joker blew a raspberry at Ryu. "The boss likes me more than you!" he sang teasingly, getting a raised eyebrow from Ryu in response.

"Right, you do remember that I am your boss as well, right?" he asked getting an eyeroll from Joker.

"Please, we all know that Boss is the brain behind this operation Ryu, you're just the hired muscle," he commented with a wide grin, making Ryu's eyes narrow.

"And what would that make you? The Mascot?" Ryu countered.

"More like the handsome and dashing pilot who sweeps the ladies off of their feet," Joker replied.

"Oh, you mean the pilot who breaks everything below his waist if he tries to dance?" Ryu asked.

"All right, that's enough, you two," Kira remarked scoldingly. "Come on, Ryu, we have a couple of meetings to get to."

The pair sighed as their banter was interrupted and Ryu stood. "Right, so… I'll keep an eye on the ship then… just me…" Joker said with a theatrical sigh. "And if anyone tries to steal it, I'll, y'know, break my bones at them."

"I doubt anything will happen," Kira remarked. "And we'll see about getting some security personnel for the ship, too." Kira and Ryu then left the bridge, heading for the exit.

"'I doubt anything will happen,' thanks for calling upon the apocalypse boss," Joker said with a sigh as he turned back to his stations and started typing away at the console.

"Right, so, where's your brother going to be meeting us?" Ryu asked as they headed for the hangar to grab the jeep.

"Somewhere here in port," Kira replied as they entered the hangar, opened the doors, and got in the jeep. "I think he's wanting something covert, because he didn't want to mention too many details over the phone."

"Must be transporting a High Value Target then," Ryu commented as he started up the jeep and pulled out of the hanger, the doors closing up after them. "Must be off the books as well if he isn't using Terminal Resources for it, either."

"Yeah… ah!" Kira's eyes widened as she spotted her brother's unmistakable appearance at a cafe they were passing by. "He's in that cafe - let's park this thing and see what he wants."

"You got it… boss," he said with a teasing smirk, earning a slight glare from his partner as he pulled the jeep into a parking slot.

Takeshi wasn't alone, either - as the pair walked up, they could see him sitting next to a woman his age with red hair and blue eyes. "Ah, Imouto, good to see you made it," Takeshi remarked as they approached. "I take it this is your new partner?"

"Yup, Ryu Hisanaga, a pleasure to meet you," Ryu said as he held out his hand to shake Takeshi's.

"A pleasure to meet you, as well," Takeshi replied as he shook Ryu's hand. "The lady sitting next to me is Linda. She's a Mobile Suit Operator at Terminal."

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Linda," Kira remarked. "So, Take-nii, what did you need us for?"

Takeshi and Linda's expressions both grew serious. "We're doing a covert rescue operation," he admitted, "and we need secure transport to bring the one we're rescuing to Orb's Heliopolis Colony, while still maximizing Terminal deniability."

"What are you transporting?" Ryu asked bluntly.

Linda sighed. "I joined Terminal last year, after being disowned by my Bastard of a former father," she said. "However, I had to leave my younger sister behind. Takeshi here offered to help me get her away from him to someplace she would be safe."

"What's the problem with the family at home?" Kira asked curiously.

"My former father is EA Foreign Minister _**George Allster**_," Linda said, practically spitting out the man's name. "Our falling out was because I wouldn't be a 'good little girl' and sit idly by while he plotted genocide. I don't want his dogma corrupting my sister."

"Allster, huh?" Ryu murmured. "I remember him from the farce they called my court martial, how do you plan on getting your sister here?"

"Flay goes to a Boarding School in Michigan," Linda informed. "_**He**_ has minimal security around her there, and the teachers always favored me over _**him**_. We have a few additional Terminal Agents with us - we'll sneak into the school, get help from the teachers, and smuggle her out at the best opportunity, hightailing it back here to Ontario as fast as is practical. If everything goes well, we should be entrusting her to your care for the trip to Heliopolis before he even knows she's gone - especially since the family residence is in DC."

Ryu thought for a moment. "You mind if I make a phone call?" he asked. "I can make your border crossing far easier than what it would be. I have some friends on both sides of the border patrol for the Sarnia-Port Huron border crossing."

"That would be beneficial," Takeshi mused. "Go ahead."

Ryu nodded and pulled out his phone and quickly dialed a number. "Mike, it's Ryu, listen, I need to call in that favor you owe me," he said over the phone before quickly delving into a hushed conversation.

"We'll pay you 50,000," Takeshi said to Kira as Ryu continued his conversation on the phone. "Half when we pass Flay over to you for transport, and half when she makes it to Heliopolis. If you can get her there in less than two weeks, we'll pay an extra 25,000."

Kira nodded as she considered it. "Done," she declared. "That'll easily cover the fuel and docking fees, plus we needed to head to Heliopolis soon anyways."

"Thanks, Mike," Ryu cut in as he closed his phone. "Right, I have you cleared with customs at the border, when you go, go through Sarnia, stop at a bar called the Lost Ones, and ask for Mike, he'll give you a special pass that will clear you through customs with no checks."

"Got it," Takeshi replied. "Thank you two very much for this."

"Sure thing, Take-nii," Kira replied. "You do what you have to, and we'll do what we have to."

"Right," Takeshi said as he stood up. "Well, we should get going - the rest of the team's ready to move out whenever we finish."

"Got it," Linda replied as she stood up as well. "It was nice meeting you, Kira, Ryu. We'll see you again when we get back here."

"Cya, and if things go bad, give us a call, we'll pull you out." Kira informed as the pair left, giving a wave of acknowledgement. "Right then, I suppose it's time we headed over to meet with your family."

Ryu nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I suppose so," he said as he stood up. "Sorry in advance if they do anything to embarrass you."

"Odds are I should be able to take it," Kira replied. "I am a tad bit nervous, but nothing too bad."

"Well… just be careful, Mom's been on me about finding a girlfriend and 'settling down'," he said, groaning slightly as they climbed into their jeep and started off. "And Dad never misses an opportunity to embarrass me."

Kira nodded, blushing slightly at the 'girlfriend' remark. Because, to be honest, she was definitely finding herself drawn to Ryu, and not just as a friend.

Ryu casted a glance over to the girl next to him before turning his eyes back to the road. '_She's an interesting one in the end,_' he thought to himself as he weaved through traffic, moving through the streets he grew up in. '_Mom will no doubt be asking when the marriage will be…_' a smile flickered onto his face as he let out a soft chuckle. '_Maybe it wouldn't be so bad… getting into a relationship…_'

_Later_

_Michigan_

An RV drove down the Michigan Highways, heading towards a remote boarding school. The RV was in the upper end of the size scale for vehicles of its kind, and had fairly decent accommodations. Of course, that was assuming it was carrying a family of two, or at the very most four. Not a Terminal Combat Agent, Mobile Suit Operator, and a team of six Terminal Agents.

"Part of me wishes we could have used a Marauder," Takeshi remarked from the driver's seat. "But even though that might be able to fit us all semi-comfortably, I don't think they're street legal in this neck of the woods."

One of the Terminal agents snorted in response. "Not to mention it sticks out like a fat man at a skinny convention," he said jokingly as he checked over his gear.

"True, though the same could be said of an RV like this thing," Takeshi remarked. "At least this thing doesn't have any discernible markings, so if something does go wrong, we won't be automatically identified as Military." He then looked at Linda, who was standing just behind his seat and holding on to it for stability. "We getting close, Linda?"

"Almost, take a left at the next exit," she informed. "Then a right onto Range Road 4."

Takeshi followed the instructions, pulling off of the highway at the next exit, making a left, and then turning right once they reached Range Road 4.

"The school is at the end of the road, one of the teachers will be waiting with Flay just a mile down from it, at a crossroad so that we aren't caught on any of their cameras," she informed. "They said it would be best done this way so that there is no way to pin me around here."

"Gotcha," Takeshi replied, spotting a couple of figures at an intersection ahead, one of whom had hair remarkably like Linda's. "Is that them?" he asked.

"Yes it is," Linda informed, her voice making her relieved and happy smile. "Pull over." As soon as the RV was on the side of the road, Linda was out of the vehicle and running up to her sister. "Flay, I am so glad you are alright."

As soon as Flay saw Linda, she ran towards her as well, the two meeting in the middle and happily embracing. "I missed you, Sister," Flay whispered happily. Meanwhile, the six Terminal Agents rapidly exited the RV, establishing a perimeter.

"I am so glad you are safe, Flay," Linda informed as she blinked back a few tears. "I was so scared for you Flay, please, tell me you are alright, nothing happened to you, right?"

"Not at first, no," Flay replied. "For the first couple of months, everything went on about the same as always, only without you around. Daddy constantly ranted about Coordinators being abominations, but I didn't let it get to me, remembering your words. I even made a friend in school who was a Coordinator - he was really nice." She blushed a bit. "We even grew… close…"

Her expression turned sorrowful. "Then, about two months ago… I think Daddy found out that my friend was a Coordinator… Military Police came into the school, and took him… when I confronted Daddy about it…" Flay was tearing up at this point. "He… he hit me!"

Linda's expression turned murderous. "He _**WHAT?!**_" she practically roared.

"Unfortunately it's true," the teacher who accompanied Flay informed as she stepped forward, a grim look on her face. "We managed to get the boy out of Jail and back to his parents in ORB, but… any charges of child abuse we filed, were 'misplaced'."

Takeshi had a look of pure fury on his face as he walked up to them. "Scumbag," he muttered. "I normally wouldn't do something like this, Linda, but if you want a hit put out on your former father, I'd be willing to help front the bounty fee."

Linda shook her head. "That would just cause more trouble than it's worth," she informed. "Plus, I don't think Terminal wants to have EA Commandos invading our bases looking to get some revenge on us… but make no mistake, if I see an opportunity, I _am _taking it."

"And I'll help you if that opportunity presents itself," Takeshi replied. "Anyway, this just makes our current objective even more important." He looked down at Flay. "You ready to be smuggled out of here, Flay?"

Flay nodded. "How are you going to get me out of the country without alerting _**him**_,though?" she asked as she climbed into the RV, shortly followed by the Terminal Agents.

"We have transport arranged at Toronto," Takeshi replied as he hopped back into the driver's seat. "They're independent Mercs, so they should be able to head out without much scrutiny, and if I know Kira-Imouto, she'll have a place you can hide if the ship gets searched for any reason. She's been paid to get you all the way to the Heliopolis Colony, where you should be safe - both from _**him**_ and from the war."

Flay nodded slowly. "Thank you, Mr…" she said to him, trailing off as she searched for his name.

"Yamato," Takeshi replied. "My name is Takeshi Yamato, and you're welcome." Once everyone was aboard, Takeshi started the RV again. "Now, let's get going! Next stop, Toronto!"

_Toronto, Hisanaga Household, driveway_

"Sorry for any chaos my family brings down upon you," Ryu said in advance as they pulled into the driveway. "I never brought home a girl before."

Kira nodded. "Well, whatever happens, happens," she remarked as they got out of the jeep and walked over to the door. "If nothing else, it'll be interesting."

"Interesting… right…" Ryu said with a sigh as he moved to open the door, only for it fling open on its own and a crimson blur to tackle Ryu to the ground.

"RYU-ONII-SAN!" Jade Hisanaga cried out as she tackled Ryu to the ground, earning a grunt of pain from Ryu.

"H… hey imouto…" Ryu greeted, wheezing. "Nice to see you, too… I think…"

"Nee-san, you're going to break his neck sooner rather than later if you keep greeting him like that," a cool voice reprimanded as Jinn walked onto the frontstep. "And not only that you are totally ignoring our guest, nice to meet you, I'm Jinn, this is Jade," he said to Kira politely.

"Nice to meet you, too, Jinn," Kira replied just as politely. "My name is Kira. Kira Yamato."

Jinn smiled at her, his brown eyes shining from behind his ovalish glasses as Jade got off of Ryu and smiled cheerily at Kira. "Hiya!" she greeted in her usual bubbly manner, her crimson red hair falling in waves to her shoulderblades and her green eyes shined with mischief. "Nice to know that Ryu-onii-san isn't gay! Not that it would've been a bad thing if he was… it's just Jinn here is such a bookworm so Onii-san is my only chance to be an auntie!"

Ryu's right eye spasmed in a horrible twitch as he glared at his oblivious sister as she continued to ramble on about being able to feed her nieces and nephews nothing but sugar then handing them off to the two of them to deal with.

Kira, meanwhile, was blushing fiercely. "We… we're not that far yet…" she stammered. "That's… that's not to say I wouldn't be interested if things go that way…" '_In fact, I'm kind of hoping they do…_' she added very privately, "…but I only just met him almost two weeks ago."

"Aww… that sucks…" Jade said with a pout that should have _not _been so adorable on the blooming fourteen year old girl, she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder and yelped as she looked up to her eldest brother's twitching visage.

"What was that you said about me being gay? I-mou-to?" Ryu asked with deliberate slowness.

"Well… umm… y'see the thing is…" Jade said nervously as she squirmed under his gaze. "Um, bye!" with that she took off running into the house, Ryu hot on her heels shouting 'PUNISHMENT!'

"Oh dear…" Gail said with an amused smile as she stepped out to greet Jade. "Sorry about that, Jade just can't help but tease her brother sometimes. It's nice to meet ye, I'm Ryu's mother, Gail, please, come in and make yourself at home, my husband should be home from work soon."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hisanaga," Kira replied as she followed the older woman into the house. "Ryu must get along with his siblings rather well."

Gail smiled kindly at Jade. "Just Gail is fine dear," she informed with a chuckle. "Why, don't be afraid to call me mother even! I think ye might even fit into my old wedding dress if yer interested."

Kira blushed again. "That might be… interesting…" she replied, "but like I told Jade, I only just met Ryu a couple of weeks ago." She hesitated for a moment. "I admit that I am feeling drawn to him, but… even if we do end up married, that's months off at the very least."

Gail laughed merrily as she led Kira into the den and had her sit on the couch. "I was only yanking yer chain, dear," she informed, her eyes twinkling merrily. "Nothin' would make me happier if Ryu settled down with a nice girl and gave me a grandchild or two to spoil, but… he is still a man finding himself, so… he just needs some time to do so."

Kira nodded, her blush fading. "Yeah, I can see that," she admitted. "He told me a bit about his past on the way over here - he's been through quite a lot."

Gail's smile took on a bit of a sad tinge as she looked over to a picture that had been taken shortly before Ryu set off on his Mercenary Career. "It is true, the fact that he was never able to live up to Ryuzaki's hope for him in O.M.N.I… but I think it was for the best," she admitted, her smile returning to its usual cheer. "Despite everything, he is more happy than he ever was trying to live up to his father's expectations, something his father had realized after the court martial… the two of them became even closer, Ryuzaki is proud of what Ryu has become, proud that he is his own man making his own legacy, not following the Hisanaga legacy."

Kira nodded. "Part of why I went solo, myself," she admitted. "My older brother is in Terminal, and I honestly preferred going into the Mercenary business for myself rather than be in my brother's shadow."

Gail chuckled. "Families are a funny thing, aren't they?" she asked rhetorically. "Each member walks on a different path, but they all return to one another and keep their ties close…"

"Yeah, that's true," Kira remarked, thinking about how close she and her brother still were, despite their separate paths. "So, where is Ryu's father, anyway?"

"He should be on his way home, he just had to give a quick mission briefing," Gail assured. "He should be home soon so long as traffic isn't too bad."

"That's good, since we're on a little bit of a clock," Kira admitted. At Gail's curious expression, she explained, "I can't give very many details, but Ryu and I have a job in the area - it's a simple transport job, but it's very important to the client. I kinda want to be ready to leave as soon as the package is ready to go."

"Oh?" Gail asked, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Well, I hope you don't mind me asking this, but… would you mind terribly if Jade and Jinn came along with you, they never really had a chance to accompany Ryu with his work, due to the danger of it, and the fact that he hitched rides on ships, they have been badgering him about it ever since he started, and now that he has a permanent ride…"

Kira looked thoughtful. "I'd need to discuss it with Ryu, and no doubt with your husband as well, but I don't see any problems. However, is that the only reason you're asking, or is there something else?"

Gail's smiled faltered ever so slightly at her question. "It's best you don't dig in too deep, dear," she informed as she patted her hand. "This is not something for either you nor Ryu to be involved in, after all, even at our age, we still need to… consummate our love."

"I… I see…" Kira remarked, flushing slightly but still having an uneasy feeling in the back of her mind. "Well, like I said, we'll need to talk to both Ryu and your husband about it."

Gail patted her hand again as she stood. "Well, I best finish cooking dinner now," she informed. "Would you mind giving me a hand, I would like to learn more about this young woman who has perked the interest of my son."

"Alright," Kira replied as she stood as well, following Gail into the kitchen.

_Later, at Dinner_

Laughter rang through the Hisanaga dining room as the occupants took turns telling Kira embarrassing stories of one another, from silly baby stories to humiliating mistakes, not a single punch was pulled at the table. Ryuzaki beamed at his son and his Mercenary Partner, his eyes shining with pride. "Ryu, thank you for coming tonight, and thank you for accompanying him, Miss Yamato," he thanked the girl. "Jinn, Jade, you best pack if you wish to go on the trip, remember, it will be a long one!"

The two teens nodded and darted off towards their room to begin packing. "Thank you for taking them with you," Gail said with a beaming smile. "Ryuzaki and I don't get enough time alone with his work, let alone having them in the house!"

"Too much info, Mom," Ryu said as he palmed his face, making his parents chuckle. "Way too much."

"Y… yeah…" Kira replied, her cheeks a light red. Though most of her blush was due to the fact that her brain was currently conjuring images of her and Ryu, being… intimate…

The group chatted idly as they waited for the teens to finish packing. "We're ready!" Jinn informed as soon as they loaded their trunks into the jeep.

Ryu let out a soft sigh as he stood and embraced his mother. "Thanks for the meal, Mom, nothing beats your cooking," he informed.

Gail laughed. "Well, your partner there is no slouch in the kitchen herself, so I think ye might find a suitable replacement," she informed with a cheery smile before moving onto Kira as Ryu embraced his father. "Kira, please, take care of Ryu, he puts up a strong front, but… he still hurts, his beliefs are fragile, so please, show him some hope for the future, will ye?"

"I will, Gail," she replied. Her voice dropped to a whisper as she continued, "To be honest, I do feel drawn to him, and I hope things work out well between us, and not just as partners in the mercenary business."

Gail's eyes twinkled as she surprised Kira by cupping her cheek. "All things work out for the best, dear," she informed softly. "And the two of ye will be very happy at the end of the road ahead of ye, I promise you that."

Kira smiled and blushed a bit as she nodded. "Thank you, Gail," she said.

Gail smiled as she and Ryuzaki saw them off and watched the group drive away. "They'll be just fine," Ryuzaki stated. "Don't you think."

Gail nodded as the pair headed back into the house and headed straight for the gun lockup where they each loaded up on weapons. "They will," she agreed as she loaded shells into a shotgun. "But… I think we have ourselves to worry about first, after all, someone is stepping in my flower garden out back."

(**Start playing this song for maximum effect** watch?v=xFWp7yKcmbg)

Ryuzaki smirked as he slid a clip home into his submachine gun. "Well now, it's a good thing that there is that community event tonight," he commented as he picked up a handgun. "I love you, Gail, thank you for being my wife."

"I love ye too, ye rogue," Gail informed a grin on her face. "Now, shall we kick these hoodlams off our property."

Ryuzaki smiled as he held up his weapon and nodded, both whirled and faced the door as it was kicked in, an armed, black clothed man entering in, only to be met with a facefull of 12-gauge buckshot sending him flying back out. Ryuzaki turned towards the back of the house, his SMG firing as a commando leapt in through the window, riddling his body with bullets and dropping him.

Another commando tried entering through the living room window, and got an SMG round through the head for his efforts, even as the shotgun claimed another victim trying to get through the door.

Men continued to pour into the house, attacking the two parents as they fought back. "Basement!" Ryuzaki shouted as the pair made their way to the basement door, darting in and went down the steps to the rec room where they made some makeshift cover out of the family pool table. "Looks like… this is it…" Ryuzaki said with a grunt as he pulled his hand away from his side where blood spilled out.

His wife smiled at him. "Aye, that it is…" she agreed, her hand clutching her abdomen, blood seeping between her fingers. "But… we had a good run…"

Ryuzaki nodded as they heard the commandos tramping around upstairs. "Those bastards… Ryu'll make sure they get what's coming…" he said knowingly. "He would never sit on the sidelines, not after this…"

"Aye, that he will," Gail agreed with a nod on her own as the door was kicked down. "Ready?"

Ryuzaki nodded as he held out a detonator. "I love you," he said as she wrapped her hand over the one that held the detonator.

"And I love ye," Gail returned, the soldiers entering the room as the pair pressed down on the trigger, causing the C4 planted secretly throughout the house to explode consuming all within in a fiery blast.

Mugen Kano, _Bridge_

Ryu paused in his small tour of the ship he was giving his siblings, looking out over the city skyline… a troubled frown on his face. "Onii-chan?" Jade asked. "What's wrong?"

Ryu turned to his sister, putting a reassuring smile on his face. "Nothing Imouto, nothing at all," he informed. "C'mon, let's get you two squared away."

Casting one last look over his shoulder he turned away from the viewport and headed down towards the crew quarters.

Meanwhile, Kira was waiting at the entrance to the ship, as an RV pulled up next to the ramp. The door opened, and first out the door were six Terminal Agents, quickly fanning out and securing a perimeter. After them came Takeshi, then Linda, then a girl around Kira's age with similar hair and eye color to Linda. "Hey there, Imouto," Takeshi said as he walked up to her alongside Linda and the girl. "You have a decent meeting with your partner's family?"

Kira grinned and nodded. "Yeah, we actually have some extra passengers as a result," she informed. "Ryu's siblings are coming along for a ride to give his parents some… _alone _time."

Takeshi nodded. "Makes sense," he replied. He then gestured to the girl. "Anyway, this is Flay."

"Hello there," Flay greeted.

"We've already wired the initial payment to your account," Takeshi continued. "You'll get the rest once you get her to Heliopolis, and the bonus if you get her there in under two weeks."

Kira grinned even wider. "We'll meet the deadline, this old bird has far more juice than anyone credits her for, and we have a pilot who is capable of using that juice," she boasted. "Come on in, Flay, my Name is Kira Yamato, I'll make sure you get to Heliopolis safe and sound."

Flay smiled. "Thank you, Miss Yamato," she said, before turning to her sister. "And thank you, too, Sister."

Linda gave her sister a tight hug that was returned. "I'll meet you in Heliopolis and get you set up at your new place," she informed her sister. "Make sure you keep your head down alright, we just need to get you to safety, then we don't have to worry about _**him **_ever again."

Flay nodded, then turned to Takeshi. "Thank you, too, Mister Yamato," she said. "I'm glad my sister has a boyfriend like you."

Kira howled out laughing as her brother began to blush. "Girlfriend? Take-nii, you sly dog you!" she teased. "Trying to slip her past me like that!"

Takeshi just blushed even more fiercely. "Hey, I only just met Linda a week ago!" he complained. "I admit that we have become good friends, but we aren't _**that**_ far along, yet!"

Kira chuckled. "Sure, whatever you say dear brother of mine," she said, a knowing look on her face. "Make sure you don't have too much raunchy sex on the way back!"

Takeshi scowled, even as he blushed even brighter. "Just get Flay to Heliopolis, will you?" he said as Flay finally walked over to join Kira. "And you might want to hurry - I want Flay to be well on her way to Heliopolis before her former father even thinks of looking beyond EA borders for her."

Kira nodded. "We'll be using the Onogoro Mass Driver," she informed seriously. "We'll be heading off now, c'mon Flay, I'll show you where you can bunk for now."

Flay nodded, following Kira onto the ship as the ramp closed behind them. A few moments later, the _Mugen Kano_ began moving backwards, easing its way out of the dock, before turning around and starting out of the harbor.

The Terminal Agents all watched as the ship left, slowly ascending into the sky as it finally cleared the Harbor. "Well, they're off," Takeshi said as he looked over at Linda.

Linda swallowed nervously and nodded. "T… they'll be fine… right?" she asked nervously, her eyes shining with her fear for her sister.

"They'll be fine," Takeshi replied comfortingly. "My sister won't let yours come to any harm. Now come on, let's get out of here."

"We'll make our way back to the Shuttle, Agent Yamato," the leader of the squad of Agents informed. "You and Linda can take the RV back to the rental place - though feel free to take your time, seeing as how they're not expecting it back until tomorrow morning."

Takeshi nodded. "Thanks for the heads up," Takeshi replied as he helped Linda back into the RV, driving it away from the port as the six agents walked back to their own shuttle.

The pair drove in silence for a while before Takeshi pulled up into a trucker's stop. "Are you alright?" he asked her softly as soon as the engine was turned off.

"I… I'm just so nervous…" she replied. "There's so much that can go wrong, and I can't get involved anymore until she gets to Heliopolis…"

"Don't worry, she'll be fine," he remarked soothingly, taking her into his arms. "My sister won't let anything happen to her, trust me on that."

"I… I do trust you…" Linda replied. "But… I still can't help but worry…"

Takeshi smiled gently at her. "You just need something to take your mind off the worry…" he said, leaning closer to her. "Let me help you with that…"

Before she could reply, Takeshi gently pressed their lips together.

_***** Lemon Start!*****_

Linda stiffened as their lips met, her eyes flying wide for a few moments before she relaxed and slowly returned it, her eyes sliding close.

Takeshi started guiding them through the RV, towards the bedroom in the back, even as he slowly deepened the kiss, his tongue tapping against her lips, then slipping into her mouth when she opened it.

Linda groaned as his tongue wrapped around hers as he pulled her down onto the bed, with her ending up laying on top of him.

After a moment, they parted from their kiss, looking at each other. "Linda…" Takeshi began. "Even though we have known each other for only a week, like I told my Imouto, there are times it feels like longer to me. You're just so beautiful… so smart… and so caring for your sister…"

He gazed up at her. "I know I told my Imouto we weren't in a relationship yet… but I'd be willing to give it a try… if you'll let me, Linda."

Linda nodded slowly. "I… I can't help but think of how kind you are, Takeshi," she replied. "You are willing to help a complete and total stranger, not only with spiriting away their sister, but even donating your savings to getting that sister a place to live and a spot in a school in the middle of the school year… I want to give us a try… Takeshi."

Takeshi smiled again as he pulled Linda down for another kiss, this one much more passionate. As they kissed, he began undoing the fasteners on her shirt, opening it slowly.

As soon as he was finished with the fasteners she slipped her arms out of the shirt, revealing her bra covered chest to him, before quickly undoing the buttons on his shirt and splayed her hands across his firm chest, her lips trailing across his face to his jaw where she started to kiss along his neck.

Takeshi groaned in pleasure as his hands reached behind Linda once again, undoing the fastener for her bra and then tossing it to the side. He slipped his arms out of his shirt before moving his hands over her body again, his left hand beginning to caress Linda's breasts while his right went lower, dipping under her pants to begin rubbing her slit through her panties.

Linda shuddered as she moaned in response to the stimulation. "Takeshi…" she breathed out, her hand dipping beneath his pants to rub his swelling erection. "Please… help me forget everything… for just tonight…"

"Of course, Linda," Takeshi said, grunting slightly from the pleasure as she massaged his cock. "Let me take all your worries away…"

He flipped them over so that now Linda was on the bottom, and he began slowly kissing his way down her body, pausing for a moment to suckle on her breasts before continuing further.

Linda shuddered again as he drew both her pants and panties down and off of her, completely revealing her nude body to him, her entrance glittering with her arousal.

Takeshi smiled, whispering, "You're already so wet…" before lowering his head to her entrance, running his tongue along her slit.

"Ahhh!" Linda cried out as pleasure ran up her spine, making her vision go spotty. "Takeshi~ that feels so good!"

Takeshi mentally smiled before delving deeper, his tongue slipping past her entrance and beginning to swirl around her womanhood, even as one of his hands reached up to begin fondling her breasts once more.

Linda squirmed underneath him as he drove her pleasure to greater and greater heights, a coil building up within her body as her hips began to buck slightly, her legs wrapping around his head to ensure he stayed there.

Takeshi could feel Linda getting close, and could feel his own pleasure rising. He continued massaging her breasts, flicking her nipples with his thumbs, even as his tongue flicked her clit a couple of times before plunging back into her depths.

Linda screamed as her back began to arch. "T… Takeshi… I… I'm going to… CUM!" she shouted out between gasps for air.

Takeshi simply continued his ministrations, lapping up her sweet juices, even as his hand continued to pleasure her breasts.

"CUMMING!" she cried out finally as the coil snapped, sending a haze of white over her vision as she came, her juices flooding out of her pussy.

Takeshi greedily lapped up her juices, enjoying the taste. When her orgasm had died down, he stood up for a moment, taking off his pants and boxers and fully freeing his erection before he got back on the bed, positioning himself over her so that his member was poised for entry. "Are you ready for this, Linda?" he asked.

Linda nodded slowly as she braced herself. "Do it," she ordered firmly.

Takeshi nodded, before slowly pushing himself into her, grunting as her tight walls seemed to suck him in, even as she moaned from the sensation of his member filling her. He got about halfway in before he came across a barrier. He grinned as he looked at her. "I guess I'm not the only virgin here," he said.

Linda nodded slowly. "Y… yeah, I didn't trust any of the people _**he **_tried to set me up with," she informed. "But… it's yours for the taking… Takeshi."

"Thank you, Linda," Takeshi replied, backing up slowly before making a rapid thrust, breaking her barrier quickly and fully entering her, kissing her to muffle any screams she might have made from the pain.

After a few moments of adjusting to having his cock within her, she slowly gyrated her hips as a signal to start moving, moaning at the full feeling she had within her.

Takeshi pulled out slowly until just the tip of his member remained within her, before slowly thrusting back in, and then repeating. "Y… you're so tight, Linda…" he grunted. "It's like you're sucking me back in whenever I pull out…"

"It… it feels so good, Takeshi!" she cried out as her arms and legs wrapped around him tightly, her hips moving in conjunction with his almost instinctually. "P… please, harder!"

He complied, beginning to thrust harder and faster, his pleasure rising quickly as they continued their lovemaking.

All too soon, Takeshi could feel a pressure building within him. "L… Linda…" he grunted. "I-I'm gonna cum!"

"Inside…" she requested with a loud moan. "It's a safe day… I want to feel it…"

"LINDA!" Takeshi screamed out to the heavens as he came, his seed shooting deep into her womb.

"TAKESHI!" Linda cried out as she clutched at him tightly as her body was rocked with an orgasm even more powerful than the last.

The two rode out their orgasms together, then collapsed onto the bed, Takeshi just barely managing to roll them over once more, leaving Linda resting atop him.

_*****LEMON END!*****_

"Aishiteru, Linda," Takeshi whispered to his lover as she lay atop him.

"I… I love you, too, Takeshi…" Linda said tiredly. "I… I'm glad I met you."

"Likewise," Takeshi said with a slight yawn. "Now, let's get some rest. We've got a fair amount to do in the morning."

Linda nodded, before the two fell asleep, resting to prepare for the next day, and everything that would follow after. Both knowing that, whatever happened in the future, they would face it together.

**END CHAPTER**


	5. Chapter 4: The Right Hand of Vengence

Disclaimer: None of us own Gundam SEED. Goddamn Sunrise… Furthermore, any franchises that make cameos here belong to their respective owners.

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

"_Radio"_

Chapter Four: Right Hand of Vengeance

Mugen Kano_, approaching Onogoro Island_

It had taken another week, but the _Mugen Kano_ was now approaching Onogoro Island, step one on their journey to Heliopolis. Everyone was on the bridge, including Flay, Jinn, and Jade, who were staring out the front window as the ocean passed by underneath them.

"Well, we're almost done with the first step," Kira remarked. "How've you three been enjoying the trip?"

"This ship is _so-o-o _cool!" Jade said excitedly. "The _Valiant_-class is hands down the best carrier in use by _any _faction, the _Nazca_-class can't even hold a candle to it in speed, and this main cannon could tear apart the O.M.N.I _Marseilles-III_-class!"

Kira chuckled. "You know your ships, don't you, Jade-chan?" she asked.

Jade nodded eagerly. "They are so cool!" she repeated, her grin widening, if it was even possible. "I used to go to the Spaceport every day just to watch ships!"

Flay laughed. "Sounds like fun," she remarked. "I might do that sometime after I'm settled in at Heliopolis - never had a chance to do much of anything under _**his**_ roof, and never had any spaceports near the Boarding School I went to."

"Well, you'll have a pretty good opportunity for it at Heliopolis," Ryu informed as he typed away on the computer. "After all, Heliopolis is a major spaceport and refuelling station."

Flay nodded. "Thanks," she told him. "I might just do that."

A sharp breath from Ryu caused the others to look over to him, only to find a blank visage on his face as he stared at the screen. "Jade, Jinn…" he whispered causing them to blink. "Dad… Mom… they… they're dead…"

Everyone's eyes widened at that, even Joker's. "They seemed just fine when we left," Kira remarked. "What happened?"

"Officially, a Gas Leak," Ryu informed, his hands shaking, whether from grief or rage, none could tell at that moment. "Unofficially, and this is from an extremely trusted source, Blue Cosmos supporting Commandos." He stood up, his back still to the group. "Jade, Jinn, I'm sorry, I know, as your brother… right now my duty should be to care for the two of you as you grieve," his voice cracked slightly. "But… before I can, there is one last job Dad left for me."

"I'll help you with it if I can, Ryu," Kira remarked, walking over to him. "We'll need to get Flay, and most likely Jinn and Jade now as well, to Heliopolis first, but once that's done, I'll do what I can to help."

"No," he whispered, shoulders shaking. "Please, take care of my siblings, as I am right now, I cannot, there is only one thing I can do," he informed as he strode towards the door to the bridge.

"What?" Kira asked, her voice soft.

"You know what, Kira," Ryu said, a certain finality in his tone as he left the bridge completely.

"Don't," Joker advised as Kira moved to follow after him, he pulled his ballcap lower over his eyes. "When Ryu is like that, he is someone completely different, so don't, let him do what he needs to do, he will rejoin us when he is finished."

Kira hesitated a bit, before nodding. She sat down in the Captain's Chair, thinking for a moment before bringing up the intercom. "If you ever need any help Ryu, let me know," she said into the intercom, knowing he could probably still hear her. "And whatever happens… please, return safely."

Privately, in the depths of her mind, Kira added, '_Because I think I might be falling in love with you… and I want to be able to tell you as much when you get back._'

"_Mission Acknowledged._" Ryu replied, his voice blank, before the hangar doors opened and his Custom CGUE came screaming out, streaking through the sky heading for a destination that everyone on that ship knew he was heading.

_**Unknown Hanger, Onogoro Island**_

"Told ya so."

Erica Simmons only gave Ethan a scathing look. "That's the fifteenth time you said it."

Ethan shrugged. "Doesn't make it untrue though." He clenched his fist in anger. "A damn shame. He was a damn fine soldier and a good man. I should have stuck around longer."

"You didn't know what was going to happen."

Ethan only shook his head. "I should have. I guessed that this request would get him killed. It was only a matter of time and I was right."

Erica sighed. "Stop blaming yourself. It was out of your control."

"You're right." Ethan then turned to the black mobile suit that stood in the hanger. "You know, Ryuzaki was able to get some extra alloy for one more suit." He looked to Erica and smirked.

She raised an eyebrow. "You have the cash for it?"

"Did a few jobs here and there without my custom Patriot. My clients paid a little extra for that." Ethan gave Erica a foxy grin. "If you don't mind, my Patriot is getting a bit sluggish for my tastes…"

"I'll look into building you a mobile suit. Of course, that's if you have the plans."

"Oh I have some ideas that I can throw out there." His foxy grin then turned savage. "By the way, have you gotten shacked up with anyone yet?"

Erica blushed red with embarrassment and anger. "Pervert."

Ethan snickered. "You're too easy." He then looked up at his black mobile suit with a frown. "I really need a new suit."

_**Three days later, Ontario, Toronto, O.M.N.I Military Command**_

"It is a sad day today, for today, we mourn the passing of a great man, Vice Admiral Ryuzaki Hisanaga," a man who seemed to have an inflated sense of self said, addressing a large crowd of soldiers and civilians, those of higher ranking closer to the front.

"Hmph, a great man?" A blond haired blue eyed male wearing a powder blue business suit sneered out arrogantly. "He was nothing but a patchwork lover."

"Keep quiet about that, Azrael," an Admiral seated next to him growled. "Don't forget that he still commanded more respect amongst the intelligence division than any admiral save for Halberton, even outside of the military, if word got out about the stunt you pulled…"

"We are in the right," Muruta Azrael, the leader of the terrorist group Blue Cosmos, informed. "After all, he was a threat to the blue and pure world after all."

The Admiral growled slightly but remained silent.

"For 50 years he gave his service not only to O.M.N.I, but to the entirety of Humanity, he had made it his life mission to create a blue and-"

The speech was interrupted as the speaker's head exploded into a fine red mist, before anyone could even react, several more of the higher ranking officers and civilians were killed by the unknown sniper. "I knew it," the Admiral said in resignation as panic began to set in. "We poked the Dragon, and the Dragon is retaliating."

"What are you on about!?" Azrael asked in a panic, his eyes wide in fear.

The Admiral never budged as he looked over to the panicked terrorist and forced him back into his seat. "Did you never think his children would enact their own retribution, did you think Ryu goddamn Hisanaga, a man who his own father trained as a Commando, would never come for us?" He asked as he firmly held Azrael in place, even as several more people with strong connections to Blue Cosmos fell to the sniper. "Face your judgement, Muruta Azrael, I will face mine."

"NO!" Muruta screamed in fear as he struggled against the stronger man's grip, moments before his chest exploded into a gory mess.

Not even glancing over at the now dead terrorist the Admiral looked up towards one of the taller buildings that gave a clear view over the plaza that the memorial was taking place. He spotted the telltale glint of a sniper scope and nodded, right before a shot through the chest ended his life.

_**Rooftop**_

Ryu looked down at the chaos he had just enacted on the memorial to his father below. "Well, that's all of them," a voice next to him informed, looking over he studied the black haired, blue eyed, glasses wearing man next to him. "So… how do you feel?"

"My parents are dead, Hughes, I refuse to feel anything, until the mission is over," Ryu informed in a dead tone. "The mission is never over until the safe return to base."

Maes Hughes gave Ryu a long look, before nodding in understanding, his own years as the second in command of O.M.N.I's Intelligence Division giving him a good understanding of how certain people cope with loss when they had an important task to accomplish. "Understood, the Spearhead is waiting on the tarmac so you can get to the _Medea,_" he informed, the _Medea_ was a top secret Stealth Carrier Ship that was used by the Intelligence Division. "They'll take you the rest of the way to ORB, can you manage it from there."

Ryu nodded as he doused the rifle he used with gasoline before tossing a match onto it, burning the evidence. "Thank you Hughes, I know you stuck your neck out on this," Ryu said, gratefulness filtering through his combat mode. "Will you be alright?"

Hughes smirked, his eyes narrow and dangerous. "I'll be fine, me and some of the boys have been rethinking our career choice," he informed. "I'll be seeing you around, Ryu."

Ryu nodded before leaving the roof, leaving Hughes to oversee the burning weapon and disposing of anything that remained of it.

_**Terminal Shuttle, Docked at Heliopolis**_

Going directly from EA Territory to Heliopolis was a bit faster than going to Orb, but not all that much - from Toronto to Heliopolis was around two weeks if you went through Onogoro, but about eight days going direct.

And going direct was what Takeshi and Linda had done, to make sure they had things ready for when Flay got there.

The Shuttle was a small one, but it was one of the more long-distance varieties, meaning it had decent living accommodations - it was like a Spacecraft version of the RV they'd made love in that night, only with a cargo bay large enough to house a Mobile Suit.

It also had a fully functioning TV, which they were currently watching, and transfixed by the news they were seeing.

"_Today, during the memorial of Vice-Admiral Ryuzaki Hisanaga, shots were fired by an unknown sniper, killing several high ranking members of the EA defensive council, among whom was Muruta Azrael, the leader of the Extremist Blue Cosmos Faction, both Admirals Olsen and Michaels as well as Vice Minister Allster._" The reporter on the news informed seriously. "_We have received a video from the group claiming responsibility for the attack and are now playing it._"

The scene switched to a darkened room where a shadowed man sat. "_We are the Right Hand of Vengeance,_" the person informed in a distorted voice. "_We once were proud members of the O.M.N.I Intelligence Commando Division, and served our homes proudly under Vice Admiral Hisanaga, until the start of this war, that is, and until the _murder _of the Vice Admiral by the order of Blue Cosmos. We have wiped the slate clean of their corruption, and now we will wait to see if you will actually make a new path for the EA and O.M.N.I, we will be watching, and we will be waiting, should you stray, we will reign Vengeance upon you. That is all._"

Takeshi was rather stunned. "Well, that was interesting," he said. "I'd heard of Ryuzaki getting assassinated, but I didn't realize just how badly his subordinates - and most likely Ryu, as well - would retaliate." He looked over at Linda. "You alright with this? Someone else getting to _**him**_, I mean."

Linda nodded slowly. "Disappointed that I didn't kill him myself, but… I suppose this group may have had a bit of a larger claim on him," she admitted. "_**He **_may have made my life a living hell… but… I never lost someone important because of his actions…"

Takeshi nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I just hope that whoever takes _**his**_ place in the government actually starts leading them down the path of honor, which might help end this war sooner." He then paused. "And at least this way he can't go after Flay anymore."

Linda nodded in agreement. "Do you really think Ryu was involved with… that?" Linda asked, vaguely gesturing towards the TV.

"Given what I've heard of the Black Dragon, most likely," Takeshi replied. "He's supposedly a preternatural Sniper, and I'd imagine that killing or threatening anyone close to him is a bozo no-no. If he _**wasn't**_ involved in that, I'd be surprised."

"I see," Linda said, before sighing, tears building up in her eyes. "I… I think we owe him a big bonus for that then? Cause… cause now… me and Flay… we don't have to worry about _**him **_coming after us anymore…"

Takeshi enfolded her in a tender embrace. "No," he agreed. "You don't. You're free now. Free from that bastard's influence. He won't be able to touch you or your sister ever again."

Linda let out a choked sob as she clutched onto Takeshi, allowing the tears to stream down her cheeks as the feeling of happiness and relief overwhelmed her. Takeshi simply held her as she cried, gently stroking her hair, whispering to her, "You won't have to worry about him ever again, Linda. His shadow will never loom over you again. Your life is yours now… and I want to be a part of it, as much as I can." She looked up, allowing him to look into her eyes. "I love you, Linda."

"I love you, too, Takeshi," Linda informed through her sobs. "You… thank you so much for everything…"

"You're welcome, Linda," Takeshi replied. "And once the new warship and my new MS are completed, I promise…" He paused for a moment before saying in Japanese, "…Zettai ni mamoru**(1)**…"

Linda blushed a light cherry red at his words. "I'll have your back, Takeshi," she whispered quietly. "No matter what happens, I'll make sure you know everything that happens on the battlefield."

Takeshi smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Linda," he said, before the two kissed.

**Mugen Kano, **_**en route to Heliopolis**_

It was quiet on the bridge of the carrier base of the newly formed Fenrir Mercenary Guild, only two people currently residing on the bridge, the owner and Captain, Kira, and the Pilot, Joker, the two of them were silent as they processed the news report they just heard, the two younger Hisanaga Siblings were both in the room that was given to them, grieving, although they were informed of the news as soon as it came on, Flay herself was resting in her own room.

"A sniper from an unknown position, Ryu might as well have left a calling card," Joker said finally. "Damn guy, he could shoot the wings off a fly at a mile, and they thought to whack his parents, darwinism at work for ya."

Kira nodded. "Yeah, they were pretty much signing their death warrants with that move," she replied. "I just hope he gets back soon."

"He has friends all over the place," Joker informed, unworried. "Honestly, his personal network puts the great four's intel networks to shame sometimes."

"Right," Kira replied. "If you say so…"

"Trust in your partner, boss," Joker advised. "That guy…" he shook his head. "He's not one to die, especially now that he has to look after his siblings, he'll meet us on _Heliopolis, _you can be sure of that."

Kira nodded. "Speaking of, how close are we to Heliopolis?" she asked.

Joker checked his console briefly. "A day and a half at most," he informed, looking back up. "So in other words, enough time for you to hit the showers and the hay, boss, I can take care of things up here."

Kira nodded, standing up. "Thank you, Joker," she said. "Let me know when we're almost there, or when Ryu comes back, whichever comes first." She began walking out of the bridge. "I'll see about getting some rest."

"Aye aye, boss," Joker confirmed. "Also, before I forget, one of Ryu's potentials for recruitment replied back, he's going to meet us at Heliopolis in a week or so."

She nodded. "Alright," she said, before leaving the Bridge.

_**Pacific Ocean, **_**Medea**

Ryu sighed softly as he stood on the deck of O.M.N.I's stealth aircraft carrier that they based many of their black ops missions out of, the wind whipping at him as he stared out over the ocean.

'_Mom, Dad, I know that you probably aren't exactly proud of the actions I took,_' he said silently. '_Yeah, it'll leave the EA vulnerable and desperate…. but…as your son, as the person I am, as the _human _I am… it was the only way I could ever face myself in the mirror… I should have known that they would have attacked you, why didn't I see the signs… _'

Even if he wanted to, Ryu steadfastly refused his body's and heart's desire to collapse from the grief, to let it all pour out, it wasn't over yet, the mission was never over until every soldier returned home, whether on their feet, or in a coffin… he refused himself to leave the mindset that kept him composed up until now, the mindset that allowed him to deliver vengeance, or revenge, whichever it was, Ryu really didn't care at that point, he would not let that mindset go, not until he was back aboard the _Mugen Kano, _a place, he realized, had become a home for him.

"I'm almost home…" he whispered to the winds, allowing his voice to be carried away. "Kira…"

_**Three Days Later**_

_**Heliopolis Spaceport**_

Takeshi and Linda stood in a lounge overlooking one of the docking bays in the spaceport, as the _Mugen Kano_ eased into the dock. "Looks like they're here, Linda," Takeshi said. "Once Flay gets off the ship, it'll be time to help her settle in."

Linda nodded. "Yeah, I'm just glad she's here now," she informed with a relieved sigh as the docking clamps secured the ship into place. "Were you able to get into contact with her friend from ORB?"

"I was," he replied. "Surprisingly enough, he was up here on Heliopolis, too - he's attending the technical college we're enrolling Flay in. Anyway, he should be here soon."

Linda let a cheery smile slip onto her face. "It will be good to meet my sister's friend," she said. "And it'll be good for her to have a friend nearby."

"Yeah, though I am curious if they're simply friends, or if they're… closer… than that," Takeshi mused, before he saw Kira and Flay approaching them from the direction of the _Mugen Kano_'s entry hatch. "Hey there, Imouto," he called out to her. "Glad to see you made it."

"No trouble whatsoever, well… aside from the news Ryu got…" she informed, wincing slightly.

"Yeah, I heard the news," Takeshi replied. "Sorry to hear about what happened, but at least he managed to deal with the ones behind it."

Kira nodded, a grim expression on her face. "Yeah, he should be back soon," she informed. "But… would you mind if his brother and sister stay at your new place for a couple of days until I can get them situated into their own place?"

Takeshi looked over at Linda, who nodded. "Sure, we can put them up for a bit," he replied. "We're currently staying in a Terminal Shuttle parked here, but we don't plan on leaving until Flay is properly settled in, anyway."

Kira nodded with a grateful smile. "Thanks, I'll go get them now," she informed as she began to float back to the _Mugen Kano. _"Be right back."

Takeshi nodded, before looking at Flay. "Glad to see you made it, Flay," he said. "How was the trip?"

Flay smiled slightly. "It was fine," she informed. "A certainly new experience though… and… I heard about our… _former _father."

"Yeah," Linda remarked. "We don't have to worry about _**him**_ ever again… still, I'm glad you made it-"

"Flay!" A young man's voice shouted, catching the group's attention as they all turned to see a young man with dark hair and reddish eyes floating towards them. "I don't believe it!"

"Shinn?" Flay asked, shocked, before she began smiling. "Shinn!" She kicked off the floor, floating towards him.

The two met each other in midair, embracing each other. "I can't believe it, I got a message from Terminal telling me to come here," Shinn said, shock obvious in his voice. "How… how did you get here?"

"My Sister and her Boyfriend picked me up from the Boarding School, and got me onto a ship that had been hired to bring me here," Flay explained. "What are you doing here, though? I thought you said your parents lived on Onogoro?"

"Y… yeah, I was, but… after what happened with your dad, the headmaster of the school got me admission to the technical school here," Shinn informed. "By Haumea, what are the odds…"

"Yeah…" Flay replied. "Still, I'm glad to see you again… I missed you…"

"I missed you too, Flay," Shinn replied, smiling happily. "So… you're here to stay?"

"Yeah…" Flay informed, smiling back. "I'm here to stay… and I'm glad you're here with me." She then proceeded to lock their lips together in a fierce, passionate kiss.

"Well, you didn't mention this to me… little sister…" An eerily calm voice voice said, causing the pair to freeze. "So… little sister… who is this?"

"Th… this is Shinn Asuka…" Flay replied, nervously stuttering. "He's the… the boy I told you about… Shinn, this is Linda, my older sister."

"Uhh… hi?" Shinn greeted, even more nervous that Flay.

"Now, if you two want to be in a relationship with one another, that is fine," Linda informed, her voice still eerily calm. "However, Shinn, please remember, I am a part of the most powerful mercenary group there is, and… my boyfriend happens to be the brother to one of the most capable independent mercenaries out there, who, by the way, is noted to be capable of hacking circles around the militaries best, who is partnered with the world's greatest sniper and is known to be a skilled commando. Just remember that, Shinn, if you ever hurt my darling little sister, I will come after you with absolutely everything I can."

Shinn nodded like his life depended on it - which it probably did. "Y-yes, Ma'am!" he replied. "I promise, I won't let her come to harm!"

Linda gave a cheery smile, the eerie aura she had been exuding disappeared. "Good, see that you don't," she ordered.

Takeshi sweatdropped. He could understand where Linda was coming from, heck, he'd been about as protective as Kira before she went into the Merc business… but still… watching one's lover go from friendly to eerily calm to friendly again in less than a minute was… unsettling.

"Hey, I'm back," Kira announced as she approached with the two younger Hisanaga siblings, upon seeing the slightly frightened look Takeshi and Flay had, the look on the newcomers face was one of outright horror. "What happened?"

"Let's just say I am never getting on Linda's bad side, and leave it at that," Takeshi replied.

"Right," Kira said with a slight trail off. "Anyways… who's this?"

Flay shook her head to clear it. "This is Shinn Asuka," she introduced. "I met him in that boarding school I used to go to several months ago, though two months ago we had to get him out of there thanks to my former father. Shinn, this is Kira. She's the one who ferried me here."

Kira smiled kindly at Shinn. "It's nice to meet you," she said to him. "I'm Kira Yamato, these are Jade and Jinn Hisanaga, they're the younger siblings to my partner."

"It's nice to meet you, too, Miss Yamato," Shinn said with a bow. "And thank you for getting Flay here safely. She's… very important to me."

Kira giggled slightly as he blushed. "Well, it's going to get me paid," she replied with a grin. "Plus, she's a nice girl."

"That she is," Shinn nodded, smiling at Flay. "I'm glad I met her."

"I'm glad I met you, too, Shinn," Flay replied, before kissing Shinn again.

Kira giggled again, her thoughts briefly drifting towards Ryu before pushing them back to the here and now. "So, should we get you set up at your new place?" she asked, before turning to the siblings. "And are you sure you two want to stay here on Heliopolis?"

"We can handle getting Flay settled in, Imouto," Takeshi informed. "You just sit back and wait for your partner to come back - and thank him for offing George Allster for us."

"Onii-san said he'd meet us here, so, we'll wait here, for now," Jade informed with a nod. "And… we don't really want to live anywhere in the EA…"

"I can see about getting the two of you a place of residence, as well," Takeshi informed them. "And if you want, I can see about enrolling you at the local technical college, which we've managed to enroll Flay at, as well."

"That would be good, actually," Jinn agreed. "It is what we were going for originally."

"Alright," Takeshi replied. He turned to his sister. "Imouto, we'll wire the fee for job completion to your account - 25,000, plus another 25,000 for getting here within the deadline, and another 75,000 as a bonus for Ryu taking out George Allster the way he did."

Kira blinked in surprise at that information. "That is the most money I ever got for a civilian escort job," she declared. "But hey, if you're giving it to me, fine by me."

"Thanks, Imouto," he said. Turning to Linda, he continued, "Come on, Linda, we need to get Flay settled in."

Linda nodded. "Ready, Flay?" she asked her sister. "And would you like to come with us, Shinn?"

Flay and Shinn both nodded, and the four started out of the bay.

"Thanks again for the help, Imouto!" Takeshi called out behind him. "I look forward to hearing more about your exploits in the future!"

Kira waved to them before turning to the siblings. "So, you guys hungry?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "Wanna grab something to eat?"

At that point, both Jinn and Jade's stomachs growled rather loudly, causing them both to smile sheepishly.

"I'll take that as a yes," Kira said humorously, a smile twitching into place. "C'mon, let's find a good place to eat."

END CHAPTER!

**Translation Notes**

**(1) Zettai ni mamoru - I will (always) protect you**


End file.
